Fukkatsu: The New World Order
by Uzuki-Kun
Summary: A group of teenagers in modern day Tokyo believe that school will be their only problem. However, the rise of an evil mastermind from the past thrusts them into a war that happened hundreds of years ago, one they thought was only on T.V.
1. First Day In Tokyo

A/N: This is a collaborative effort by a bunch of us who love Naruto!

Haruki Hinageshi (Hina): SasukeLover001

Koyuki Midori (Midori): dorothy-of-akatsuki

Otomiya Moriko (Momo): Inuys-hispanicgirl

The All-Encompassing Disclaimer: Though we love Naruto, we are in no way responsible for it. All original characters are copyright Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

Haruki Hinageshi, simple girl of outstanding backgrounds. Tossing in her bed, the girl cringed slightly, her hand snaking out from underneath the blankets of her bed to turn off the alarm clock next to her, which was, at the moment, blaring unnecessarily in her ear. With a groan, her hand sought for the top of the clock, where she knew the button would be contained to turn off the annoyance of the alarm. With a sigh of relief, she felt it, slamming her palm down roughly upon it. "Good...finally off," she muttered, opening her eyes as the first rays of the sun beat down through her open window. 

Stretching and yawning, she sat up, rubbing a hand over her face as the sun continued to shine partially through where the gap in the trees allowed it to. Turning back to her clock, she mentally scanned the face. "Seven thirty...on a Saturday. Why am I doing this again?" she said with distaste. A Saturday was meant to be spent in bed or watching the television...not waking up at seven thirty.

Of course, it meant that she had to work. Her mother and father were never home. Money money money, always more money with them. Hina, as her friends called her, would always be stuck alone at home. The situation was never helped by the fact that she was a freshman in high school. It had given her too much to think about, and she had too much to think about already. So, to stay distracted from the monotony of everyday thinking, she had gotten a job at a little cleaning service down the street on the corner. She was a housemaid, and although it was an exceedingly boring job, she often ventured into large, spacious houses with interesting pieces of furniture and art. When she wasn't cleaning, or thinking of high school algebra, she distracted herself by gazing at these works of art, wondering how a world full of so much darkness and ugliness could have something so beautiful in it.

Stretching for the umpteenth time that day, she yawned, walking wearily into her brother's room. Had her brother not been off to college, she would have been barred from it. But, of course, he was, and she wasn't. Besides, she reasoned, her brother had far better clothes for what she did. Cleaning and scrubbing was something that was to be done in clothes suited for it, not in dresses, skirts, and blouses. Flipping through the assortment of clothes in his dresser, she selected a deep gray hoodie with red stripes emblazoned down the arms. Not the best of clothes, but whatever. Slipping it on, she left it unzipped, as the chill autumn air outside was still just brisk, but not overbearingly cold. Heading downstairs, she grabbed her house key off the hook by the front door, grabbing the handle and turning it. However, before the door opened, her eye caught the unfamiliar white of a piece of paper left on the table beside her. Her eyebrow rose, and she took the message, glancing through it.

_Hinageshi,_

_We're expecting a package from your brother this evening. Make sure you're around to pick it up if the delivery service comes by. Reheat something in the fridge if you get hungry. Your father is working overtime tonight and we'll both be home quite late. Take care._

_Love you,_

_Mom_

Hina frowned and crumpled the note up, tossing it carelessly behind her. They would be home late..._again​_? It only figured, she reasoned with herself. When ever were they not home late? Shaking her head, she opened the door, closing it firmly behind her and locking the house up. The place where she had to work that day was just down the street, so there was really no point in driving or riding a bicycle. Besides, she wasn't old enough to drive, being just fifteen. Even if she had been, she had no car, and had no way to afford one herself, and she refused to have her parents just buy her one. Her hand went to her head, brushing back the pink hair that flowed in front of her. Looking at it severely, she reasoned that a cap may have been a good idea. Entering the building, she waved hello at some of her co-workers, heading to the staff locker room to put on her uniform. The day was sure to be just chalk full of fun and adventure, she thought. Taking the grey uniform down from where it hung, she huffed slightly to herself, smiling. "Yeah...right..."

* * *

Across town, another girl was also frustrated at her parents. Otomiya Moriko, or more informally known as Momo to those she hadn't beaten first, stood impatiently, tapping a foot down on the hard concrete of the port check-in. Checking her watch again, she scowled down at it. It told her the correct time, but nothing was correct about it. Sighing up at one of the port speakers that was blaring out music, she stood, dejected. Her father had forgotten to pick her up again. "Figures..." she thought to herself. Tapping her foot to the beat of the music, she checked her watch one last time. Shaking her head at the read-out, she grabbed her cell phone, checking for messages to see if she had perhaps missed something. She hadn't. Putting her cell phone back in her coat pocket, she swayed to the music while alternately snapping gum in her mouth and half-heartedly brushing down the plaid skirt and grey polo shirt she wore. 

Looking up again, she scowled as people walked by, staring at her. "What're you looking at?" They hushed, turning and walking by. She seemed to be a loner out in the middle of a field. Being from America, she did look rather conspicuous, especially since her outfit was that of an American teen and her physical appearance was that of a Japanese girl. She sighed again, checking the clock on her phone as she took it from her pocket once more. Flipping it open, she scrolled to her missed messages again. Still, nothing. _Come on, dad! _She was losing patience with the man. The gum was beginning to lose its flavor, her boots, which she had worn for the shock value, were starting to hurt her feet, and she was becoming extremely bored with waiting. She kept looking up, hoping beyond hope that he would show. A business-like persona, other people around him...a chauffeur with a large cardboard sign that said Momo or Moriko on it. Something like that...not all this constant waiting. Tapping her cellphone hesitantly, she went to her contacts list, scrolling to her father's number and putting her finger on the send button. She hated to call him, but darn it, she was important enough in his life to deserve better than being forgotten in some airport station around the world from her home in America!

She didn't press the button, however. Instead, she contented herself with stalking the lobby, glancing at people roughly from behind blond hair and scowling at others who were talking.

"Hey...you lost, pretty thing?" She huffed, turning to eye the boy who had talked to her. He was perhaps seventeen, and nothing big by the looks of him. "Why don't you come with me, doll. I'll show you around Tokyo, huh?"

Moriko huffed. _Right, in your dreams, pal. _Having taken Japanese and being quite fluent in the language, on account of her mother being from the country, she smiled sweetly. "Sorry, I'm waiting for someone."

He was not to be refused, however. His hand snaked out, grasping her arm. "Come on, babe. Let me show you a good time." Without even flinching, her left hand clenched. Letting fly, she belted the boy, sending him skidding across the cement.

"Don't touch me, you jerk!" Turning, she walked off, leaving the boy nursing his nose, from which copious amounts of red liquid was pouring. Walking outside, she stood once again with her phone, not quite daring to press the send button.

"Ms. Otomiya-chan?" She blinked, gazing at the man addressing her. He was a kindly older man, with a chauffeur hat and black suit on.

"Oh! Are you the chauffeur for my father?"

The man smiled, nodding as he took her bag. "Hai, miss. I am."

Moriko watched the man place the bags in the trunk of a large limousine, and she glanced around. "Where is my father?" The man flinched, but continued placing the bags in the trunk.

"I am afraid that Otomiya-sama has been...held up. He sends his apologies to you, Otomiya-chan."

Moriko's mouth drooped. Her own father had been too busy to pick up his daughter from the airport? She shook her head, sighing. "That is like him, I suppose." The man opened the door to the limo, beckoning her in. She smiled, nodding as she entered the limousine. Inside, she boiled. Her father was such a forgetful...idiot! What kind of man would leave his daughter at the airport? Especially after her mother had just died and she was left alone in America for nearly a month! Looking out the window at the rolling scenery as the limousine left the airport terminal and headed to the house on the outskirts of Tokyo, she huffed to herself. When her father got back, he was going to get it. She didn't know how, but she knew that he was going to get it.

It was nearly an hour later as the blond girl exited the limo. Standing in front of a large mansion, she smiled. Her home in America would have looked like nothing compared to this. "Oy, oy! Hey, you! How much did this place cost my father?" She looked over at the chauffeur, who was busy with her bags.

"Hm...er...I believe it was five million US dollars." It seemed like nothing to him...but it was everything to her! A home that was that expensive...literally all hers?

"Wow!" Glancing around at the neighboring homes, she stifled a giggle. The homes in the area were all magnificent like this. If she had just stopped to think, she would have noticed right off the bat. Rushing to the door and leaving the man with the bags, she rang the doorbell. It sounded like sweet music to her ears. Suddenly, the door opened, and she blinked as a kindly looking middle-aged man smiled at her.

"Greetings, Otomiya-chan. Can I take your bags for you?" The chauffeur gently placed the bags on the top step, bowing and turning to leave. Bending over, the man in front of her began to take the bags.

"Wait! I'll get that. Thank you, but I don't like other's touching my stuff." Smiling, she spit her gum out in her hand, handing it to him. "You can take that, though. I already chewed the taste out of it." He blinked at the gum in his hand before smiling at her.

"Uh...of course. Right this way, please." She nodded, turning to the chauffeur, who was waiting at the limo.

"You can take the rest of the day off, and thank you for being so kind at the airport!" She waved as he smiled, bowing and getting into the car. As it sped away, she entered her new home, staring at the wonders around her.

"Otomiya-chan, please, if you would..."

"No no no. Please, Momo-chan is fine, thank you." The man blinked for a moment before nodding.

"As you wish. Please come this way, Momo-chan." She nodded, hefting her bags up and marching behind the man as they began a jaunt through the house. The servants nodded, smiled, and waved at her as she walked through the huge living area. She tried acting jovial, besides the fact her father wasn't around. _Everyone here is so...old! _Going up the steps to the next flight, she looked down each corridor, left and right.

"Alright, old guy. Where's my room, huh?" The man's eye twitched slightly, but he indicated the right corridor, and they walked it. At the end of the hallway, a maid smiled, bowing.

"Hello, Otomiya-chan." Taking her bags, which she gave voice to her exceptions about, she opened the door, showing Momo into her room. Moriko was in awe at the grandness of the room. Not one to usually lose her calm, she jumped up and down with delight, touching, feeling, and examing everything. "Oh...wow!" Jumping onto the bed, she lay still, gazing at the ceiling, which seemed big and expensive to her...just like everything else. The maid and butler exchanged glances before leaving her to her peace. She honestly didn't like that they were around. She had always hated being waited on.

"Oh! Almost forgot!" Grabbing her suitcase, she dug into it, coming out with a picture frame. Her father and a lovely young woman stood there, smiling into the camera. Kissing it, she set it on her bedside stand. "Welcome home, mom." A loud ringing began to play in her ears, and she twisted about, trying to find its source. It came from her phone. Blinking, she grabbed it, flipping it open. Her father. Her face deadpanned as she brought it to her ear, answering it. "Uh...hello?"

"Moriko...how are you?" She huffed. Great, now the man was concerned.

"Fine, father. Though, you would have known that already had you come to pick me up...like you said you would." She tried desperately to hold back the tone of her voice, and for the moment, it was working.

A silence pervaded the room, and then, "you know I'm sorry, sweetie. I had other things to do, and..."

"Yeah, obviously. I mean, what's more important that your own daughter, right dad?" Her voice had become edged and acid-laced. "Just...just forget about it, alright? I'm home and fine, okay? Are we done talking now?"

"Moriko, please don't be angry with me. I..."

"Angry? Why would I want to be angry? I mean, here's your daughter, flying all the way around the world to be with you after what's happened with mom, and instead of you, I get some guy in a limo telling me you aren't there for me? Why would I be angry? It's not like you promised me you'd be there or anything. It's not like some maid and a butler didn't show me the house that you bought because you weren't there to do it in person. Of course I'm not angry at you for completely disrespecting me and causing me to worry and have my hopes all screwed up!" Her voice was now quite high-pitched.

"Moriko...please don't yell..."

"Why not? I have a right to yell! I have a right to be angry, damn it!"

"Moriko...forgive me. I am...out of line on this one."

Moriko rolled her eyes. Same as always. "Whatever."

"Alright. I'll be home in a few so we can talk about your trip and get settled, alright?"

Through half-closed lips, Momo smiled. "Sure, dad. Sure."

Another slight pause, and then. "Oh! Moriko darling, have the chauffeur take you to the school and show you around Tokyo. That way you'll be acquainted." Moriko blanched. She had just given the man the day off.

"Uh...sure, dad. But hey, listen. Mind if I take a nap first? I'm kinda tired."

"Of course, dear."

"Oh! When do I start school?"

Another pause, then, "Monday."

"So soon? Why?"

"Moriko, please don't argue. We'll talk more about it later." Moriko nodded. She sighed, looking around her room, thinking of the huge, mostly unused house.

"Hey...dad?"

"Yes, what is it dear?" Moriko gulped, and her voice went low-key.

"I...miss mom." Another silence, long and cold.

Then, on the other line, a catch in the throat. "I do to, sweetheart. I do to."

* * *

Stuffing her clothes into the blue, steel-plated gym locker that was her private part of the company space, Hina slammed the door shut, clamping the lock and shrugging on her gray overcoat at the same time. Blowing out a breath of air to calm her nerves, she headed to the front desk. A kindly looking young woman tended the counter, typing at her computer for this or that. Smiling, Hina leaned against the wooden table top. "So, what have you got for me today?" 

The woman smiled, typing in Hina's name on the computer database for the company and waiting for a list of names and addresses to appear. Nodding at one, she pulled it up. "This one is kinda close to home for you," she said, tapping the screen in amusement. Interested, Hina walked the counter, coming to her side to peer over her shoulder. The screen read OTOMIYA. She recognized the address immediately as being on her street...right next door on the left in fact. "That work?" Hina nodded, and the receptionist pressed the print button, getting up and walking to the printer that began to spit out the required paperwork.

"So...I guess I should take my supply cart home with me," Hina said, teasingly. "That way I wouldn't have to walk all the way down here to get it, and walk all the way down here to bring it back."

The woman waited for the printer, but cocked her head at the pink-haired girl. "How did you know that the job was a permanent file?"

Hina shrugged, grabbing the paper from the machine as it spat it out excruciatingly slow. "I've seen the inside of the place a few times. My neighbor is this major business tycoon type. His house is huge, but he lives there all alone. The rest of his family is in America, I heard. It's so big that I doubt he takes care of it alone, seeing as how he has so much business going on. He probably has a slew of maids and butlers in the place."

"I see," the receptionist said, highly interested. "Well, why don't you scoot along, Hina. I'll take care of the paperwork and have everything done before your shift is even over. Grab your cart and get moving. Oh, I think that the night stock boy refilled everything for you to. He seems to like you a lot." Hina smiled, nodding her thanks and leaving the main room. Going into the supply area, she grabbed her cart that had her name printed on the handle. Four large bottles hung from pegs on the left side of the shambling cart, and she could definitely smell the odor of the blue chemicals. Wrinkling her nose, she exited the office, turning down the street and heading back home. As she was walking up the street, a boy, perhaps in middle school, followed her, tagging along just behind. He smiled, yanking slightly on a piece of frilly lace that hung from behind her.

"Hey! Watch it, Shouda!" The boy smiled, placing his hands behind his head.

"What the hell is that thing supposed to be?" Hina sighed, gritting her teeth as she continued up the sidewalk.

"It's called a uniform. You know, they make us wear one." He smiled wider, and she sighed exasperatedly. "Look, if I had my way, we wouldn't all be running around in maid's outfits, alright?"

Grinning impishly, the boy replied, "if I had my way, you lot wouldn't be wearing anything at..."

"Hey! Don't you even finish that statement you little nuisance! Go away! Go find a small animal to set on fire or something!" Shouda sighed, splaying his hands up in surrender.

"Fine, Hinageshi. This is my stop anyways. See you!" Running off, Hina smiled as he left the area. The boy was a complete nuisance to have around. When she didn't want him around, that was when she could count on him showing up...especially when she didn't want him around!

Up in front of her, Hina spied her stop. The Otomiya residence loomed like a monolith in the distance, dwarfing her house slightly, but not by much. Though, the fact that the houses weren't that much different comparatively didn't make her feel any different. It was the fact that she knew who lived in it that made her feel small in comparison.

After nearly an eternity trying to wrestle the cart up the flight of stairs, Hina stood, catching her breath as she surveyed her surroundings. It was nice to stop and smell the roses...or chemicals, in this case. Adopting a smile, she rapped on the door, waiting. Nothing happened. Rapping again on the shiny, polished material that lay in front of her, though she didn't understand why a door had to be shiny, she waited again. Still, nothing. Opening the small mail flap below her, she poked her eye around, trying to catch movement. Still, nothing. "Otomiya-sama?"

Momo stood in the kitchen, stretching to grab anything she could reach in the fridge. Of course, nothing seemed edible to her, and nothing seemed to be even partially interesting. "How the heck can we not have any food in this place! Look at it, for Kami's sake!" Turning, she dejectedly started walking back to her room when a fruit bowl met her gaze. Smiling, she grabbed an apple, rubbing it on her shirt. "This had better not be fake or plastic!" Taking a bite and delighting in the tangy juice that seeped out, she began wandering back to the stairs. She had found the kitchen in little less than an hour. Pretty good, she thought. She had only gotten lost in the place a few times as well. A few more years and she would have it down pact!

A sudden cry from the front door caught her attention. Who could that be? The butler walked snootily forward, ready to answer it. Momo's hand shot up, stopping him. "Go! I'll take care of it. Go do something...more useful." The butler huffed, but couldn't refuse the order. Turning, he walked away, leaving her holding the doorknob. Adopting her own smile, the blond girl opened the door, revealing a mousy looking girl with pink hair. "Um...hello. Can I help you?"

Hina fumbled. The punky blond girl in front of her was not someone whom Hina had originally expected to get an answer from. Taking a step back, so as to give the girl her space, she tried not to stare at her attire. "I'm quite sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you during your meal." Momo smiled, taking another bite and talking with a full mouth.

"What? This? No, this is just a snack. Don't worry about it!" She took another bite. "Can you believe that this place doesn't have any food? Big as it is, with no food? Geez." She took another bite as Hina continued.

"I'm Haruki Hinageshi. I'm your next-door neighbor...but I am supposed to be your new housemaid, as well..."

Momo blinked several times. Her next door neighbor...was going to be her maid? "Well...that's interesting. But, you don't have to call me anything special. Leave the chan out to, if you wouldn't mind. It makes me feel...important." Smiling, she put out her hand. "I'm Moriko Usagi Otomiya, but call me that and I'll kill you. You can call me Momo! Sounds good, doesn't it?" Hina smiled, taking the proffered hand and pumping it.

"Um...you can call me Hina...if you like..." Momo smiled, waving to her.

"Hina it is, then. Come on in, Hina." Seeing the cart, she smiled. "Here, let me help you with that, to. That looks huge compared to you!" Hina fumbled a thank you as the blond helped her into the house. Once inside, Hina couldn't help but stare up at the intricate works of art adorning the walls. However, Momo was more interested in what Hina was wearing than why she was there. "Wow! You know, that looks super cute on you! I was wondering to myself if I have anything that cute upstairs. I don't think I do. If I did, I would wear it out of work all the time!"She smiled, turning and taking another bite out of her apple as Hina sighed.

"It came with the job." Turning to look at the house again, she studied the wall hanging on her immediate left. A snap of the fingers brought her out of it.

"Hey! Hina, are you alright?" Hina started, looking at Momo as she stared inquisitively at her.

"Oh. Sorry, I...didn't mean to stare. You must really think I'm a nerd. The job came with more than just the uniform. We have dialogue as well...and it seems I have totally screwed that up. I'd really just like to meet you as your neighbor, rather than your housemaid." She smiled, placing a hand on her head. "But I suppose that's not what I'm meant to do. If you tell me where to start, I'll get cleaning. I know the way around, so you don't have to worry about showing me. Oh, by the way," she said, going back to her cart and rummaging around. Standing, she handed the blond a stack of papers. "Hang those on the doors that you don't want me going into. Just hang it on the knob." Momo scratched her head as she received the papers, and half-smiled.

"Um...thanks."

Before Momo could say more, Hina blurted out, "don't worry, I'll definitely have the entire first floor done before Otomiya-sama arrives home. He usually pulls in around midnight on Sunday's...unless, of course, he has something different scheduled...but of course, you would know better than I would." Hina smiled kindly at her, and Momo smiled back. _You know more about him than I do...and I'm his daughter!_ Momo thought to herself.

"Hey...you said that you're my neighbor, right?" Hina blinked, then nodded.

"That's right. I live right over there!"

"Great! That means that we can hang out and stuff. Believe me, I don't think you're a nerd. I'm probably more a nerd myself than you are." Going to the cart, she grabbed a spray bottle, pretending to shoot it around herself. "When do you get off? I am so bored usually, we could hang out and stuff. My dad told me all about the ramen shops around here. I adore ramen! I only get the cheap baggie ones that they have in America. Dad says that this is the original ramen place, though. I can't wait!" Suddenly, Momo blushed. "Sorry...I'm talking way to much, aren't I? I'm just glad that I can talk to someone that has anything to do with me, someone who isn't old, gone, or works for me. I haven't had a decent conversation since..." Momo said, then cut off. _Since my mom..._she thought to herself, a bit sad. Almost immediately, she perked up. "Tell the truth, I don't know what needs cleaning or not! Here I am, holding you back from your job...and...umm..." Running around, she began sliding on the floors, looking for notes or anything of that nature. "Um...I don't really see anything by way notes that are left. Why don't we allow all the maids and butlers to clean? Just allow them to use your stuff, right? I'll leave a note, and they can fend for themselves. Let's go explore Tokyo, yeah Haruki?"

Hina smiled. Finally, someone to count as a friend...and she could get paid for walking around! "Hai!" Suddenly, she remembered her previous engagements. "Oh...but, I'm supposed to clean here. Your father is paying me, and I would like him to get his money's worth...and yours to." Momo looked slightly taken aback by the answer, but she didn't relent.

"No no. We'll say that you did your job...but I kinda distracted you from it. Besides, I need to know Tokyo a little better, and this is a way for that to happen. You don't want to be stuck cleaning on a Saturday, do you?" Hina bit her lip.

"Well...I don't know..."

"Come on! It'll be fun!" Momo grabbed her arm, beginning to pull her away from her cart. "Trust me. I'll take the blame for you if you want." Hina sighed.

"Alright...but I shouldn't go anywhere in this outfit. It's not exactly...off the rack, if you know what I mean? People would stare at me." Momo stopped her actions, turning to look at the girl. The maid's outfit, though 'super cute' as she called it, wouldn't be the best thing for her to wear.

"Well...it isn't that bad. Besides, you look great in that outfit. Don't worry, the stares you get will be good ones. I'll be getting stares to. It always happens." Hina's blue eyes fell to the floor, and she twitched slightly.

"But, when you get stares...I bet no one harasses you. That's why it's probably best you stay away from me during school. People bully me all the time. I wouldn't want that to happen to you." It was true. She felt like the most pushed around person in Tokyo. No matter where she went, her classmates were sure to be there, and were sure to call her names, make fun of her...and sometimes hit her. Not to often, but it had happened before.

"What? People push you around? Those jerks! The whole lot of em! How can they not like someone like you? I mean, sure I don't know much about you, but your honest, and nice, and...and...any other person would have just stared at me all awkward, like all these maids and butlers so far," she said, snorting and shaking her fist theatrically at the house. "Just let those idiots try and hassle me! I'll smack their faces in!" Putting an arm around Hina, she smiled. "Besides, what good are friends if you avoid them? Huh? Huh?" When Hina was left speechless, Momo giggled. "Exactly." Turning to her, she began entreating her once more. "Come on, Hina. Let's hit the town! Let's get out of this joint! Let's...let's...ah hell, let's just leave!"

"But...I..."

"Come on! You can play hooky this time! Just this once, eh? Tell you what. Next time you go clean a house, I will help you, no pay needed and all! Free! What do you say to that?"

"But...Momo...it isn't your job. I wouldn't want to take you away from your life and all." Momo smiled.

"Don't think anything of it! I would be glad to help! It would get me out of this house anyways. It's really lonely here, not having anyone but maids and butlers around." Hina nodded. She knew what that was like, with her parents always gone and her brother at college.

"Well...I suppose I could...just this time." Momo smiled, grabbing the door and thrusting it open.

"Great! Come on! I can smell the ramen from here!"

* * *

An officer walked the hallway of the Tokyo Grande Police Station, staring up at a sign that he had to pass under to enter into his ranking officer's office. He shook his head at the symbol. Some sort of crazy, lopsided ball with a pedestal or something. He, like most of the other police officers, never quite knew what it was, but it also hung outside the station on their sign. It was a strange symbol for any police station to have. Walking into the room, the man set down another stack of files, the third time that day. Sitting at her desk, Koyuki Midori typed busily on her laptop, finishing up another set of case files. As the next were sat down, she sighed, hanging her head and waving at the man as he left. Groaning at the increasing stack of files, Midori grit her teeth. _Why do people around here give me so much work to do? I swear, if I work any more overtime this week, someone is gonna lose his head!_ Her laptop beeped suddenly, and she smiled, popping up her messages. 

_Midori,_

_The chief wants you in his office, pronto! Looks like you're about to work some more overtime. Sorry._

_Uryu, the guy who's glad to not be you._

Midori's eyes suddenly took on a red pallor, and she huffed to herself. "Damn him. That new chief we have is an idiot!" Mentally, she made a note to try and calm down, and instantly, her eyes returned to their normal shade of dark blue. Getting up, she stomped to the chief's office, glaring at everyone as she did so. No one said a word as she walked by, and most kept their faces down towards the ground.

Having finally reached the man's office, she didn't bother knocking, walking in instead and taking a seat in one of the empty chairs. Stuffing her hands agitatedly in her pockets, she said with as much restraint as possible, "you asked for me, sir?" The man looked up, smiled slightly, and looked back down, talking as he wrote.

"Yes, Midori-san. I've been thinking for a while now that I should get to know some of the senior ranking officers around here, seeing as how I'm new and all. So, I'd like to invite you to dinner with my family and I at our house. What do you say, hm?" His eyebrow rose as he glanced over his papers at her. She was surprised, pleasantly in fact. She had thought that she would walk in, get handed a load of work that would take her all night to do, have to go home in the wee hours of the morning so she could get an hour of sleep, and be right back for more. Dinner...didn't sound too bad. _Now everyone in the station hates me for acting like such an ass. Great!_

Snapping out of her inner monologue, she smiled at the man behind the desk, who was waiting for an answer. "Of course, sir. I would be...er, delighted to have dinner with your family tonight." The man smiled, nodding.

"Great to hear, Koyuki. I'll meet you in the parking lot after work so you can follow me to my place." Midori smiled once more, nodding and standing up.

"See you then, sir." Walking out of the room with higher hopes, Midori sighed to herself. _Damn...all I wanted to do was go home, grab a pizza, watch a movie, and go to sleep! Now I have to have dinner with the man who keeps me here all the time!_

_**Midori-san, it could be worse, you know? You could be outside in the rain checking parking meters.**_

_Oh, ha ha ha! Very funny, Itachi-san! You know, if you weren't in my head, I would rip you a new one. What do you think about that, Itachi?_

**_I think that that would be unpleasant for both of us._ **Midori smiled. She at least had to have a little fun with the man whose reincarnated soul was stuck in her. Maybe she would watch a movie after all...something sappy and full of lovey-dovey stuff. If she couldn't make him squeal with love induced pain...her name wasn't Midori!

* * *


	2. The Open Market

* * *

**Naruto: Fukkatsu!**

**Chapter 2**

**The Open Market **

Nakaowa Tsumi-chi sighed in her sleep, sprawling out on her bed and snoring loudly. Her dog, a smallish mutt with large, bug eyes, opened a lid to watch her, then decided that it would be too troublesome to do anything but shut it and go back to sleep. That would have been fine...had Tsumi-chi not set her alarm clock, which decided to go off at eight-thirty in the morning. Convenient, as that was the exact time that she had set it...but not the time that she had wanted to get up.

_Beep! Beep! _"Nani?" Tsumi-chi's head shot off the pillow, her arm and hand thrusting out and grabbing the clock with grace. Without even checking the time, she threw the offending time instrument, its springs and intricate pieces falling apart like rain as it impacted with the wall. Her dog, interrupted as it had been in its sleep, growled lightly, snuggling down in the blankets and tramping up her chest. She glared at it as it poked from beneath her bedspread, so in response, it nipped her nose. "Ja-ne? Stupid dog!" Lifting herself out of bed, she sighed, rubbing a hand over her face in an effort to rid herself of sleep. An errant dog toy on the ground ended any suspicions of a safe and secure day, as she stepped boldly onto it. Her cry of dismay turned into a cry of pain as she face-planted into the floor. "Ouchie..." Rubbing her face in an effort to quell the pain, she sat back up, glaring at the toy. "Dosu! What have I told you about your toys?!" She kicked it, glaring up at the dog, who retired under the blankets. She could have sworn it was looking much too smug.

"Hurry up!" Tsumi-chi blinked as her mother's voice carried from below. Standing, she smacked her head as she remembered the day's errands. She was to accompany her mother to the market in town. They had guests coming, and her mother wanted to make a special spread of tsukimi wan and sashimi. "Tsumi-chi! I said hurry up!"

"I'm...I'm...hn, whatever. I'm coming!" Turning, she ran to her wardrobe, diving in to find a decent attire for her to wear.

As she stumbled down the stairs to the living room, her mother was already giving her father instructions on how to prepare the rest of the meal. Her father was hardly listening, being accustomed to the sort of criticism he received from her. "...and remember to not overcook the vegetables, dear."

"Yes, dear."

"Oh, we should be back in a few hours. Wait to put the water to a boil for when we arrive."

"Yes, dear."

"It shouldn't be too long. The eggs will have to be cooked later."

"Yes, dear."

"Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, dear." Her mother stood for a moment, watching the man before turning and grabbing her keys and purse.

"Very well. Come, Tsumi-chi!" She began to stride to the door, and Tsumi-chi turned, smiling and hugging her father.

"Goodbye, Ootosan!" Her father hugged her back before an exclamation from the doorway sounded out, peevish and high-pitched. Rolling her eyes, Tsumi-chi gave her father one last wave before turning to the door, closing it lightly behind her.

Thankfully, the Traditional Japanese Marketplace wasn't far from her home. It made walking to it a breeze. Entering the hustle and bustle as people walked to and fro, searching for this and that, Tsumi-chi and her mother scanned the rows of stalls. Tsumi-chi yawned, from boredom or sleep deprivation, she didn't know. A tap on her head turned her attention back to her mother, who was frowning at her. "I am not going to have you yawning all the way through this...and aren't you cold?" Her mother shivered slightly, possibly to accentuate her point. Tsumi-chi merely shrugged.

"I'm tired. I usually try not to wake up before, well, noon on a Saturday. As for the cold, it's blistering out here. I don't know how you can stand that coat. You're so weird..." She said the last bit under her breath, hopefully out of range of her mother's hearing.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing. Tsumi is a good girl. I'm gonna go find the ingredients for your yucky soup now." Huffily, she turned away, losing herself in the crowd. "Now...where is that guy who sells the ginger?"

* * *

Aoru Susumu, despite being relatively shy and quiet, all at once knew that the time had finally come for him to show his emotions to their fullest potentiality!

Susumu...sighed.

For the seventh time.

For the seventh time in the last hour.

"Oh, come on Susu-chan. It can't be that bad," his mother said. Susumu glanced over at her from where he sat on the couch. One eyebrow rose up, indicating clearly his thought of 'you wanna bet?' She snorted, rolling her eyes in good nature. "Come on, Susu-kun. You know your father beginning his new promotion is a wonderful thing for us. He's already started, and it will be so much easier since we live here in Tokyo. He won't have to run from work to home all the time. Besides, think of all the opportunities you'll have here? Think of all the new friends you can make!"

Susumu grunted, still not appeased. _Oh, sure. Like that'll happen anytime soon!_ He was terrible at meeting new people. In fact, the friends that he had made he barely was able to keep most of the time. He was awkward around others. He didn't know how to act, so he usually leaned on his back-up plan of confidence. Unfortunately, this brought him around in the wrong way, as he usually was flooded by a cadre of girls who scared the pants off of him. He was still boggled with the fact that they appeared in droves, out of nowhere. How did they do that, anyways? Then, all the guys would hate him for it, and think of him as nothing more than a stuck up brat.

Yes, Aoru Susumu wasn't a people person.

"I was fine back at my old school," Susumu complained softly. "I liked my old friends just fine."

"Oh come now, Susu-kun. I'm sure you'll like it here." The woman just wouldn't take no for an answer, no matter how hard he complained. He just hoped that Tokyo would have lots of perks. Otherwise, he would move back home, his father's promotion be damned!

* * *

Midori sat in her chair in her office, watching the time tick by on the clock. It would be another five hours before she would have to endure her co-worker, and boss's, family and attitude, so she was on edge. Unfortunately for her, she didn't have long to wait.

"Oy! Koyuki-san!" Midori's head snapped up, and she blinked as her chief's face appeared in her doorway.

"Oh...hai?" The man smiled, nodding at the realization that she knew someone was talking to him.

"I was thinking, Midori-san. Perhaps you and I could cut out a little early today, hm? It would give you a chance to meet my wife and kid, and maybe get you loosened up a bit. I've noticed you've been on edge recently." Midori sighed. She knew that too. She didn't need this man telling her what she knew already.

"Well...I really shouldn't. After all, I have had quite a lot of reports to get done, and they won't be getting done unless I do them." Within itself, quite the conundrum.

"Well, let's just leave that be our little secret, eh? Tomorrow, you can finish them. Today, we'll just go. It'll be good for us both. After all, between you and Lieutenant Haruki, I don't really know the senior officers all that well. So, let's go, huh?" Midori glanced at the paperwork once more.

_Let's see. Should I stay and do work, or go on leave with my boss to meet his family? What to do..._

_**Sounds like a dilemma to me, Midori-san.**_

_Shut up, Itachi! I don't need you telling me what I already know. _With another sigh, the woman smiled, looking up. "Right! I'd be glad to cut out early. In fact, it may do me good after all."

"Splendid, Midori-san! I'll go get my coat and meet you outside in the parking lot after a bit. Glad you decided to join me." The man turned, about to leave, before saying, "and don't worry. We'll just take this out of your vacation pay. That way, everything is fine and legal. Ha ha!" With that, he left Midori's office, unaware of the killing intent that leaked from her.

About five minutes later, Midori stood out in the parking lot with her laptop computer in a carrying pack on her side. Tapping her foot impatiently, she stared up at the symbol that stood above the police station. _Oy! Itachi. What does that symbol mean?_

_**What do you mean? It was the symbol for the Uchiha Family Clan.**_

_Yeah, I know that. But...what does it mean? I mean, symbols usually represent something...don't they?_

_**Hm, an interesting argument. Of course, one could counter that argument with several examples. Nike, Sony, Nokia. I could go on, you know. Most symbols are just that...symbols. They represent nothing, but are important none-the-less.**_

_Fine, fine. Geez...ask a simple question..._Glancing up, Midori spotted the chief striding over to her. "Ready to go, chief."

"Excellent. Fast work, Midori-san. Now, would you rather drive to my place and follow?" He watched as the woman stubbed her toe on the ground, hiding a cringe. "What's wrong?"

"Well, sir. Thing is, I've never needed a vehicle before. I've always just walked to work, and then to the store...wherever. I've never had the money for one either. So..."

"Oh! Well, no problems, then. We can take mine, and I can give you a ride back here after. Come on!" Midori nodded, turning. Her boss took a set of car keys from his pocket, pressing a door lock system. A car beeped down a row, and Midori struggled to comprehend how a police chief could afford a hybrid from Europe. Sitting into the plush, leather interior, Midori sighed, squelching herself in. "Comfy?" Midori simply purred back her answer. The engine started soundlessly, and in no time, they were on the road.

* * *

Tsumi-chi struggled through the vendors of the open market. She hated going to the place...but loved it all the same. So many interesting people...that would get in her way, barge her from places, and bar her entrance into seedier tents and back alleys. Of course, she somehow always managed to find good deals on this and that. But right now, her thoughts rested on ginger and herbs, and her feet had brought her to the right place. "Ah ha! Cool!" Walking into the tent, she began rummaging around for odd bits, coming up with a jar of well-preserved ginger candy and a bundle of organic ginger, more for soups and salads than anything else. "I don't normally like ginger candy...but Ootosan does. He'll love Tsumi for getting him that! Tsumi is a good girl!" Going up to the register, she placed her items on the counter, reaching into her pocket. The old lady at the back part of the counter eyed her as she pulled out some coins and a piece of a gum wrapper. Carefully counting out the coins, she smiled, sliding them across. "There...just enough, yeah?"

"That should be fine, my dear." The old lady smiled, reaching over to take the coins from the counter. Grabbing them, she tinkled them into the register, then shut it. Smiling over the top, she nodded. "Thank you for your business, dear." Tsumi nodded.

"Right! I always find the best deals here. Thanks!" Turning, she began to leave, before the old woman beckoned her once more.

"Wait, young lady. Here, this is for you as well." Reaching down below the counter, she grasped something, bringing it back out. It was a small, black bag that clinked as she set it on the tabletop. "Here." Reaching in, she took out a small, pebble shaped candy...one that Tsumi-chi had never seen before.

"What's that?" The old woman cackled slightly before handing it to her.

"A special candy, my dear. Please..."

"Oh...well, I don't really have any more money for it. Sorry," Tsumi-chi said, beginning to hand it back. The old woman merely shook her head, extending her hand and pushing Tsumi-chi's back to her.

"No, my dear. Keep it. He'll like it, I'm sure." Tsumi blinked, and then looked down at the candy.

"Er...thanks. Well, see ya!" Turning, she left the tent with her bundle, the woman's leering grin behind her. Tsumi glanced down at her open palm, wondering to herself. "I wonder what she meant by 'he'll like it'? Well, what she doesn't know won't hurt me." She brought it to her lips, taking a small lick. Grimacing, she stopped, staring at it. "Boy...this tastes horrible." However, the longer the taste stayed upon her tongue, the better she seemed to like it. "Huh...interesting. This thing must just grow on you or something." She took another lick. Her face squelched up, and her palm thrust the thing into her open mouth. "Mmm...soooo good. Mmmmff...shmmmff...good..." She didn't understand how something so vile could taste so delicious later. But, she didn't care.

* * *

Midori tapped her fingers on her laptop, humming slightly to herself as the car whizzed past traffic on the downtown bypass. The chief merely watched the cars zooming by, keeping his eye intently on the road. Soon, their expedition led them to a small suburban area, crammed full of large, upstate houses and smaller condos. Midori sighed to herself. Just how much were chief's of police making these days?

"Well, Midori-san. Here we are, home sweet home!" The car stopped in front of a formally painted house, a small, white picket fence stretching around it. Getting out, Midori stretched, realizing now why she preferred running or walking to driving. "Come on, Midori-san. I'm sure you'll enjoy my family. They can be rather...interesting at times."

_I'm sure..._Keeping a straight face, the woman followed the man up the walk, where he put his keys into the front door. Opening it, they were confronted by a boy, dark hair going down to his ears. His attitude was as dark as his eyes as well.

"This place stinks, Ootosan. I want to go back home!" The chief sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Susumu-kun, you know that we have to stay here for my job." The boy, Susumu, sighed, turning to grab his coat.

"Fine. Whatever. I'm going out, don't wait up." He strode past the two as his father watched him.

"Susumu-kun, I brought my co-worker here to meet you and your mother." The boy turned, eying the new arrival with a distaste only a teenager who was both bored and rebellious could be. "This is Koyuki Midori, my Lieutenant in charge of Electronics around the station. She handles all the paperwork and inputs things into the database. She's pretty gifted, you may get some pointers on those darned video games you're always playing." Susumu sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever." Turning to face the woman, he bowed slightly, reaching out his hand. No longer had she taken it than he retracted it, putting it into his pocket. "See ya. I'm going now."

"Susumu-kun, we have dinner at six, remember?" As the boy stalked out of the house, he bundled his coat a little tighter.

"Like I care..." Striding down to the walk, he turned, heading towards town. The chief sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, I guess we don't have to worry about him too much, then. Come on in, Midori-san." The man turned to go into the house, while Midori watched the boy walk away.

_**Midori-san! That boy looks completely identical to my brother!**_

_Your...brother, Itachi?_

_**Hai. The one that killed me, remember?**_ Midori blinked as she watched Susumu disappear down the sidewalk, heading into town.

* * *

As he walked, the boy couldn't help but feel a sense of dread and foreboding hang over him. That woman...that...that Midori woman. Who was she? Susumu could have sworn that he knew her. That, perhaps not in this life, but maybe another, he had known her intimately. Something about her just didn't sit right with him. But, he would figure that out later. At the time being, he just wanted a distraction to lull him away from life in general. To think that he would have to be stuck in that house forever now. Well, perhaps not forever, but for a while, anyways. Of course, much more obvious than that was the realization of an important fact.

"Ootosan always said that this place would be a land of opportunity," Susumu said to himself, under his breath. He had backtracked for the tenth time in the last hour, and he couldn't deny it anymore. "Yeah, more like the land of opportunity to get lost. Wonderful, thanks dad." Turning down a side passage, Susumu tried zoning out the echoes and chants coming from all directions.

"Get your fresh produce here!"

"Rare trinkets and valuable artifacts! All the way from the far reaches of the planet!"

"American goods! Can't go anywhere without your American goods!"

"Food! Get your warm food!" Susumu sighed, looking down at his pockets. He had forgotten to grab anything for himself before leaving, so now, he was broke, and he was hungry. _Well, I'll just have to figure out where I am then, and get home. I'll just bypass that new girl and dad for a while, maybe sit on my computer and do something. Anything is better than this._

"Er...let's see. I went up that way, then back down this way. So, if I turn left here, I should find myself..." Turning left, he beelined over to the next row of stalls, ducking in and around the people in the open air market place. Standing in the middle of the walk, he turned about, glaring. "Great. My new home stinks, my father won't listen to me, my mother thinks I'm a child, and to top it off...I'm lost. Can this day get any better? I submit that it can not!" Sighing dejectedly, the boy put his hands into his pockets, finding the open mind to wander freely about and poke around in some of the stalls. Weird and interesting things hung from pegs, and he examined a stick that had a large, round ball of...something on it. It looked strangely like honey, crystallized onto the head of the pole. "Huh...what's this stuff I wonder?"

"Wondering about that, young man?" Susumu gasped, turning to face an older man who came from behind the stall.

"Oh...yeah. Just curious, I guess."

"Oh, well. That there's called amber. Rare substance to be found here in this part of the world. Most like it is found in deep forest and dry land. Hard to come by, rock amber. Here." Taking the stick down from where it hung, the man handed it to him. "See, there's a little bug stuck in the middle of it." Susumu gazed intently into the globe. Indeed, a small creature of some sort seemed frozen in time in the middle of the substance. The boy blinked, than smiled, nodding.

"Hai. What happened, you think?"

"Oh, well. I'm sure that the little bug thought that this amber would taste good. Turns out, it wasn't. See, amber is just hardened sap, frozen for millenia like this. That little guy probably got stuck and then covered, and then some lucky person found him stuck to a chunk of wood. He's perfectly alright in there, you know. He may still even be alive. I doubt it, but he may. He's just kinda...frozen, as it were. Interesting, how some things can survive time by encasing themselves in something, hm?" The old man smiled down, and Susumu nodded. It was interesting. Highly illogical, but interesting.

"Right. Interesting. Sure. Well, gotta go. Thanks, old man!" The man smiled, nodding as he replaced the stick.

"Farewell, young one. Farewell." Susumu turned, walking into the crowd.

_Well, that was weird. Now, I wonder how I can get home from here..._Susumu turned about, trying to get his bearings, when something bumped into his back. He had been told by his mother and father beforehand that open markets were havens for pickpockets and lowlife's, so on instinct, he turned, grabbing the hand that had bumped into him. The two stood frozen for a moment as Susumu looked the girl up and down.

"Oh, sorry about that. Ouch..." The girl smiled, wiping a hand against her face. She hadn't even seen the boy coming, much less her walking at him. Looking up, she glanced at the boy's hand holding her own. "Um...can I have my hand back, please?"

"Who are you? Were you trying to steal from me?" Susumu glared down at the girl. Tsumi-chi blinked, and then smiled.

"Nope! Tsumi is a good girl! I'd never do anything like that. Besides, I doubt I'd be any good at it anyways." Susumu spared her one more glance before dropping her hand.

"Sorry. I'm new here, so I don't know how people act. Plus, I guess I've seen a lot of movies where people bump into other people while taking their wallets and stuff." He huffed, putting his hands back into his pockets.

"Huh. That's interesting." Rubbing her hand, Tsumi glanced about. "Hey, do I know you? I feel like I've seen you before or something. Oh! You go to my school, don't you? I bet you do!"

Susumu blinked, taken aback. "Gomen. I haven't actually gone to school here yet. You couldn't have seen me there." _Strange, I've got the feeling I know this girl to. Why is this town so weird! What is with this place?_

Tsumi-chi raised an eyebrow. He had really looked familiar. In her mind, she shrugged. She lived in Japan, where tons of boys had dark hair. It was probably just coincidence that she thought she recognized this particular boy. "Oh, well, you don't look like you came from out of town. So, welcome to Tokyo! You're going to love it here, except that the weather is unpredictable sometimes...which isn't so good. But school here is definitely super cool, and it's the city of entertainment." After she had gotten done rambling on, she stared at him briefly. "Oy, you lost or something? It's just, you're heading in the direction of the fish market...and you don't seem particularly interested in buying some fish..."

A bead of sweat trickled down the boy's face. Hoping she didn't see it, or the blush that came upon his face, he tossed his head to the side in a huff, staring off into the distance. "...yeah...I'm lost. So?" It was almost painful for Susumu Aoru to admit it to anyone but himself. He almost had to physically bite upon the tail that was his pride.

Tsumi-chi laughed slightly. _So, one of those proud people. Are all boys like that here? Geez!_ "Well, where are you heading? If you do want fish, you're going the right way," she joked. "But this market can be a right pain. There are twists and bends all over the place. If you want to get out of the market completely, then you need to take a left and go straight through the stalls with all the necklaces...but if you're shopping, then they tend to keep food round this area we are in now, and all the clothes and stuff are just behind you." She yawned. _Geez, I talk way too much, I could barely understand myself..._

"Ok, thanks," Susumu said, blinking in surprise as he processed her words. He gave her a slight wave. "Guess I'll see you around then," he added with a shrug. Hands in his pockets, he took the directions she gave him, hoping to Kami that he wouldn't get lost again. He'd hate to think of what would happen if he ended up in a girl's clothing store...he mentally shuddered at the thought.

* * *

It was a while before Tsumi-chi made it back to her mother. She was standing in the middle of the crowd, glancing around...probably for her. _Great, here comes another headache I don't need..._

"Tsumi-chi! Where have you been, young lady?" Tsumi rolled her eyes, holding up her bags.

"Out shopping for you. What do you think?" Her mother frowned at her, the lines on her forehead clearly visible.

"Well, isn't that a fine attitude. Come on, we need to get you a new skirt for school."

Tsumi-chi mentally slapped her forehead. "No problem. I will go and get it, and since Tsumi is such a good girl...could you _please_ hold these bags? They're killing poor little Tsumi..."

Her mother was clearly not paying any attention to her whining at all. "You aren't getting any taller, Tsumi-chi. Do you think I'm not giving you enough nutritional value in your food? Should you start taking vitamin supplements, you think?" Tsumi scowled.

"Hey! I may be a midget, but it's just genetic...from your side of the family, I might add. It has nothing to with nutrition. I get enough of those yucky soy beans on my plate to feed the country of Japan!"

"School is starting soon, Tsumi. Are you ready?" Again, her mother just wasn't listening.

"Yeah, yeah," Tsumi answered tiredly. "Everything's ready..." _I have no idea what to expect this year, anyways, so why ask?_

Her mother began to walk off, saying, "we need to buy some baby food for Arata, Tsumi. Come!"

_Oh, joy of joy's! The pooping dribble monster needs more food...again..._Tsumi huffed to herself, folding her bottom lip in a pout. _Great. What is it Tsumi's turn? Tsumi is a good girl!_

_

* * *

_

_A:N: _The continuation of the series. Chapter 2!

The characters described here belong to random people. Those random people, here on fanfiction, are...

Chosha Kurenai : Susumu

xkawaichiix : Tsumi-chi

Dorothy of Akatsuki : Midori

Next chapter: Hina and Momo decide to take the metro downtown in search of ramen. However, they meet someone else along the path. Of course, Susumu will have his own troubles, as his haunted past resurfaces...to throw his life into turmoil. Next chapter: Chance Encounters Of The Strange!


	3. Susumu's Dilemma

* * *

**Naruto Fukkatsu: Chapter 3**

**Susumu's Dilemma**

As they left Momo's house, Momo took the opportunity to turn and address one of her butler's. In fact, it was the very same butler that she had met as she entered the house. "Hey. My friend and I are leaving. Could you lock up this place? Oh, make sure things get clean to. K, thanks!" Before the man could retaliate or give her 'scholarly' advice, she slammed the door, traipsing down the stairs with the pinkette in tow. "He's probably so mad at me right now. But I don't care. That guy is a jerk."

As they got to the street, Momo stretched, scratching her stomach off-handedly before turning. "Well, I'm ready to go. But...you might want to change. Don't get me wrong, I still think that uniform is great! But...I don't think that you should be walking around in it. Just call it second thoughts."

Hina blinked, looking down. She knew it was a good idea to. Besides, if she ripped it, or got it mussed up in any way, her boss would have a conniption. He wouldn't be privy to paying for another one. He probably wouldn't even get her another if she was the one paying for it. "Yeah. You're right. Come on, Momo. We can stop by my house. I can change there."

Momo nodded, tossing her hair back as a slight wind whipped up, sending a chill up her spine. "Man...I'm not used to the cold here."

"Well, it is the middle of December. I don't even know why you're in that kind of outfit. Aren't you freezing?" Hina asked. Momo glanced down at her outfit, but shrugged.

"No. If I don't think about it, it doesn't make much difference." Truth...yeah, she was cold. But, it was only a slight trouble. Nothing she couldn't deal with.

Hina smiled as they walked. The girl was something. In the outfit that Momo was wearing, Hina would have been freezing completely. As it was, her outfit that she wore at the moment, the frilly little thing that they called outfits, was cold as hell. "Well, you're much tougher than me." Soon, they reached her house, which wasn't hard, considering it was basically right next door. "Wanna come in? Should only take a moment."

Momo smiled up at her from a lower step. "Sure! I've always wanted to see the other houses around here." Hina nodded, slipping her key into the lock and opening the door. Stepping in, she allowed Momo to close it, walking up the stairs and turning to go into her room. As she began to rummage through her closet, she heard Momo enter her room.

The blond gazed casually around the room, sitting down on the bed as her eyes wandered restlessly. Her legs moved statically, trying to control the energy that boiled within her. "So...this is your room, huh? Nice."

Hina smiled at her position in the closet, still trying to figure out the best outfit for her to wear. "Thanks." Finally, she sighed, grabbing a pair of pants and a shirt from the closet. "Well...this will do for now." Shyly turning to the blond girl on her bed, her eyes went to the clothes, and then back. "Um...do...do you mind if I...?"

"Huh? Oh...oh! Oh, yeah. Sure...sorry." Standing up, Momo turned her back, idly twiddling her fingers and whistling. About a minute later, she heard another sigh behind her and a chuckle.

"Thanks. I...I'm just not used to other people watching me dress. Even girls. Silly, huh?" Momo smiled, turning and rubbing the back of her head.

"No. Not at all. Actually, I'm kinda shy like that myself. I...well..." As if in answer, she lifted her shirt, showing Hina her stomach. "I got this weird thing on my stomach, see? I...don't really like showing it off."

Hina blinked, walking towards her and bending down. Her hand came up, tracing itself around Momo's navel and around in the swirling pattern of the birthmark shape. "Wow. That's kinda strange. Have you always had this?" Momo blushed, turning her head away as Hina's hand continued tracing the strange mark.

"Yeah, ever since I can remember. I don't really know what it's there for. It's in a strange pattern, to. Nothing like I've ever seen." Suddenly, her eyes roved up, and she gasped. "Um...what the heck is that thing?" Hina blinked, standing back up and turning to her closet.

"What thing?" Noticing Momo's pointing finger, she traced a line to where she indicated. Her eyes fell on a uniform sitting in her closet, and she nodded. "Oh, that. That's the school uniform. I'm sure you'll have to wear one. It's...kind of a prolific school, for rich kids, you know? You'll most likely be there. You'll like it." Momo gulped, nodding slightly.

"Um...sure...yeah." She sighed silently to herself. _Classy academy, ritzy schools...uniforms? Sure that'll be just a friggin' blast! Wonderful..._However, her mood perked up almost simultaneously that it died off. "Say...how do you get to school, Hina? Maybe we can carpool or something like that? After all, we're neighbors! Your driver can do mornings and mine can do after school...vice versa! That way, I don't get lost going to school and in the school..."

Smiling softly, Hina nodded once enthusiastically. "Okay," she said. "I usually walk to the Academy...but it is winter, so I'll arrange for a driver to take us there in the mornings, and to tell the truth, Momo, the uniforms aren't so bad. I certainly like them. They're really comfortable. Perhaps not so much in the way of great looking, but still, comfortable." As if for emphasis, Hina fingered her garment slightly. "Well, I'm ready now. Let's go!" Momo smiled, hopping up and flashing Hina a thumbs-up.

"Now you're talking!" Grabbing the girl's hand, Momo ran out of the room, Hina trailing behind. Running down the stairs, she threw open the door to the house, breathing in the crisp, winter air and smiling. "Ah! That's fresh air! Now, on to the ramen bars!"

Hina smiled, nodding. "Yeah! Oh, and maybe an arcade! I love arcades!" Momo nodded at that, to.

"Yeah! That sounds like fun! So...how do we get there?"

Putting a finger to her chin, Hina wondered to herself. "Hmm...well, we can walk. That's how we all get around down here in Tokyo. That, or we take the metro. I mean, you would understand why I walk to school everyday, but I actually don't mind the metro. It's super fun to ride on with your friend's and..." However, Hina stopped talking abruptly. Her face fell slightly, and she sniffed. She realized then that she had never ridden the metro rail with anyone. She had no friends. "Well...that's what they say anyways."

Momo smiled brightly. "I don't mind walking!" However, Hina's sigh had gotten to her slightly, and figuring out, oddly enough, just what that meant, Momo tried to smile even more. "The Metro sounds good too! We should ride one of those!" _Whatever those are..._she thought.

Hina nodded. "Great. Well, then why don't we take the Metro today then, huh? It'll get us to the ramen faster..." However, before she could go on, Momo shouted out, throwing her hands in the air.

"Yes! Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!" Snagging Hina's hands, she twirled the girl around for a moment before setting her back down and smiling into her face. "Thanks for coming with me, Hina. It must feel a bit weird to all of a sudden meet your neighbor, and then take her around town in the same hour, huh?"

Hina blushed brightly, getting Momo to release her hand so she could put it to her face to hide her red cheeks. "N...no, no problem, really. I don't mind at all. Actually, I'm...I'm glad to be showing you around. You're my favorite friend already!" Trying to keep her thoughts positive, she continued to talk to distract herself from the little voice in her head, saying as loudly as possible..._she's your only friend!_

Momo smiled yet again. "Thanks! You're my favorite friend, too! Well, actually...you're my only friend, but that shouldn't be a problem. Besides, I got someone on my side now to show me the ropes, so I'm sure that I'll have a bunch of friends after you give me some pointers!" Truthfully, Hina was the only honest friend she could say she had. Well, one that didn't hound her for money twenty-four seven or try to do horrible things that had gained Momo such a bad title back in America.

* * *

After about twenty minutes, they arrived at the Grand Metro Station. Momo gazed up at the building, wide-eyed. A sliver of drool began to form at the side of her mouth, so she quickly inhaled. The station was grand! Much more grand than anything in America, she was sure. It truly proved that things were much better in Japan. In its odd, industrial way, it was gorgeous.

"So, Hina. What are we waiting for?" asked Momo, tugging on Hina's hand and pulling her towards the escalator that sent people to the top floor. As they began their upward ride, Momo glanced down at the milling people on the bottom floor. "Man, I'm so excited! This is great! Tokyo has so many people! They're like...ants down there!"

Hina glanced nervously at her stalwart companion, glancing over the side slightly herself as if noticing for the first time. "Uh...yeah..." she said nervously. "It's the most largely populated city in the world." If that was true, than great. If not...well, it certainly seemed that way. Stepping off the escalator, she tugged on Momo's arm, who was still glancing about. She was beginning to get some odd glances, but she couldn't be bothered at the moment, due to her awe struck emotions. She was much too happy to be distracted. She felt like a little kid in a toy shop, it was all so interesting to her. Another tug on her arm eluded her to the present. "Come on, Momo! There's a lot more to see downtown. Let's hurry and board the Metro. We don't need tickets...my uncle owns this station."

Momo blinked at her as if she was hearing things. "Your uncle...owns this station? Really? Wow!" Whistling slightly under her breath, she nodded. "That's awesome!" She was very pleased to hear that they wouldn't have to wait for a ticket. "That must be fantastic for you? Just easy on and off, huh?"

Hina nodded. "It is a good thing, I suppose. But come on! We have to hurry!" However, Momo smiled back back, grabbing her own hand and holding her back.

"Hey, slow down Hina! We have plenty of time! Besides, the Metro's not going just yet, so..." However, as she talked, she glanced around, noticing some teens with red and white adorned letter jackets, with a crest on the back that Momo guess was a symbol of a local school. She furrowed her brow, idly wondering what school that that symbol was from. "Oy, Hina. Are they your classmates?" Momo asked, acknowledging them with a nod.

Hina cocked her head, wondering what she meant, then turned, seeing the jackets. With that, her heart fell. "Oh...yeah. They're my classmates...but they're awfully loud and gabby. We'll never make it to the business district if we impede and talk with any of them." Pulling on Momo's arm, Hina quickly headed the both of them towards the boarding dock of the Transit Metropolitan. As they left the area, Momo chanced one last glance behind her. The kids looked too snobby for her ideals, anyways...was that even possible, she thought? But it seemed as though, no matter where you go, there will always be someone who thinks they're higher up on the food-chain than everyone else. Those teens just happened to have that 'air' about them.

Hina noticed her watching, and hoped to change the subject. "We don't have to pay for tickets, so we can pick where to sit. Let's head towards the first class car, alright?" Knowing not many people ever paid for first-class tickets, Hina decided they would be safe and she would be spared from any embarrassment. There was no way she could let Moriko see her get bullied on her first day meeting her. Hina didn't even let the other kids who got picked-on see her get bullied after school or in-between classes.

Momo picked up on the slight hint, though only the gods knew how. Usually, she wasn't that quick. But, if Hina's sudden change of demeanor was a way to say that the other kids were no good, than she believed it. Following Hina onto the First Class car, Momo felt her jaw widen. Just stepping into the car was like going to a whole other country. Her eyes began to pop from her head as she took in the scenery. It was like an airplane, a classy jet, and a limousine all rolled into one.

Hina sighed to herself. These days, only adults and a few businessmen ever rode the first-class cars. Most children and students couldn't even afford to stare at the tickets on their allowances alone. Hina's family had been graced with an extremely high income, and even she couldn't afford the super comfortable seats in the 'ritzy car' as she called it. _Just keeping it real_, she thought to herself.

"This is amazing, Hina!" Momo exclaimed, still staring around with a huge smile plastered on her face. "I've never ever experienced anything this cool!" Even she could see that no children or teens were on. This was truly a first class luxury seating arrangement. The stewards bowed low to her, and one offered her something wrapped in something green. She didn't take it, but was still amazed at the amount of respect that she was receiving. "This is great!"

"Come on!" Grabbing Momo's hand, Hina led her to a seat near the window, letting her sit down first before settling in herself. "My uncle has a lot of money. He likes to think of the Metro as more of an airplane, not a train. Or even those barbaric subway things you have in America."

"Hey! What's so bad with the subway?" Momo asked, putting her face into a more defensive position. Hina tried not to burst out laughing.

"It's just that they are underground and all. You can't see the city...or the sky...or the sun for that matter." Momo sighed, nodding as she allowed herself to lay back in the chair. That was true. Besides, the view of the inside of the Metro was much better than any view one could hope for on a subway ride.

"You have a point. I concede defeat." Both girls giggled, and the train lurched forward, beginning on its ride towards their destination...which they hoped would be soon. As they moved, Momo couldn't help but think to herself. "I wonder..." she began softly. _I wonder if any of my other relatives are rich or anything like this._ Out-loud, she turned to Hina, saying, "So, you and your Uncle are on speaking terms, huh?" Hina turned her head, her eyebrow rose. "Well...what I mean, is...I don't really talk to my family that much. I don't even know if my other family even exists. All I have is my father."

Hina's eyebrow didn't lower as she stared skeptically at Moriko. "Of course I'm on speaking terms with him," she confirmed. "I see him all the time, actually." As Momo nodded and turned to look back out the window, Hina couldn't help but feel sorry for her new friend. Stringing the information together in her head, she was able to deduce that her mother had just recently passed away. Why else had she returned to Japan without the wife Hina knew that her father had had? "But let's not worry about him right now. If we see him, I'll introduce you."

Momo nodded. Sighing slightly as buildings whizzed by below her, Momo asked, "hey. When are we going to get there?" Hina sighed to herself as well.

"Well, this thing is really fast. We should be in downtown in about two minutes or so." Pointing toward the side of the car opposite their own, Hina gestured outside the panes of glass. "You can see the next station from here. That's my uncle's, too." Momo gawked, excited now that their destination was so close, than stuck her face to her own window in an awestruck euphony. Hina just continued staring straight ahead as buildings continued to fly by. Looking up through the glass skylight, Hina watched the tips of the skyscrapers, rubbing the sky like giant hands.

Hina was still a little uncertain about Momo, but by now, Hina had acclimatized to the dramatic heights of the Metropolitan transit. Her Uncle also had a subway system and another train that was only ground level, but none of the routes belonging to the ground level train ran through Tokyo.

"Hey, Hina?" A hand grasped the pink-haired girl's, and she squeaked softly as she turned to gaze into Momo's blue eyes.

"Yes...Momo?"

The blond girl blinked slightly, then smiled, turning her head to the side to look at the other. "Th...Thanks for taking me. This...this is great." Hina blinked lightly at her, wondering what on earth had brought that up.

"Su...sure, Momo. Of course! We're best friends, right? This is what best friends do!" Momo smiled wider, nodding.

"Right! Believe it!"

* * *

Susumu had finally found his way out of the market district. He had gotten bumped, jostled, and cursed at, but finally, after all that, he finally got out. Staring up at the Metro Station, he smiled, rubbing his head. "Finally. I can get the hell out of here." That girl back in the market area had been right. He silently thanked her...whoever she was, and walked up the steps into the station.

Taking a look about, he grunted as he caught sight of the board telling him where the trains were coming to and going from. Walking to it, he traced a line to the area he knew that his house was at. Smirking to himself, he walked to the ticket booth, handing over some money for the A train. The person behind the glass gave him a look before handing over a ticket. Snatching it, Susumu went to the landing bay, waiting for the train to pull in. It wouldn't take long.

Jason Aldean McOrmin stood in the corner, his beanie pulled down as far as it could. The music blared on his MP3 player, masking the noises coming from the train station. Eying the other passengers standing around waiting for the train, he grunted, rolling his eyes and turning back to his music. Not that he cared that anyone else would see him. Of course, being the way he was, he didn't truly want anyone to see him...or even notice him. It was easier like that.

Ever since he had moved to Japan to go to school, he had learned as much Japanese as possible. He had excelled at the language, but had flunked on the relationships. To him, relationships just weren't necessary. They got in the way of business, and what got in the way of business...wasn't good for business. He just wanted to get home, study, then go to school, study some more, go back home, and...study. Between the studying and reading his archive of books on...different material, he was much happier being alone.

"_Train A, now docking at dock C. All passengers, please board train A now. All passengers, please board train A now." _Jason glanced up at the speaker directly above him, sighing.

_Well...I suppose that's me._ Pushing his backpack up higher, he began walking towards the docking bay, where the train was just pulling in. His head down, he watched his feet moving on the concrete. Of course, when one's eyes are on the ground, one's eyes are not where they should be...right in front of you.

"Ow!" Startled at the foot he had just stepped on, Jason whipped his head up, blinking at the boy who he had just bumped.

"Oh. Sorry about that. Didn't mean to." Susumu's mouth quirked, and he wished woefully that he could rub his aching appendage.

"Hn...no problem. Just...watch it next time." Turning from the beanie wearing kid, Susumu turned back to the train, handing his ticket to the man at the door and entering. Jason merely shook his head, handing his own ticket to the doorman and entering himself. Glancing about, he took a seat at the far back. Scooting over to the window, he turned his face to the side of the train, resting his forehead against the glass.

Susumu took a seat facing the door, laying his head back against the seat and staring at the ceiling of the train as the door shut with a whoosh and the train began to move forward. About five minutes in, he spared a glance back to where he thought the kid who had bumped into him had gone. He saw him, sitting in the back, hunched over slightly. As if he could feel the others gaze, Jason's head moved up, and the two locked contact for a moment before Jason adjusted his cap and hunched over more. However, the cap had slipped slightly before he had moved it, and Susumu's eyebrow rose as he again went to staring at the ceiling.

_Huh...that's weird. How does a young guy like that already have silver hair? And why do I feel that I know him, too? This town just keeps getting weirder and weirder._

* * *

It was moments later that Hina and Momo exited their train at the same station that Susumu had just left. Momo smiled around her, turning to Hina. "Well...let's get to that ramen, Hina!" Hina smiled back, nodding herself.

"Yeah! You know, that train ride made me hungrier! Let's go!" Leaving the station, the two began to walk down the sidewalk, taking time to get out of the way of most of the other patrons using the same service. As they walked, Momo couldn't help but ask more questions.

"Hey Hina. Um...where do I get a uniform?" Hina glanced over, side-stepping a small pothole that was full of water.

"Oh...well. There's a small shop downtown around here that does specialty tailoring. We can stop by after we eat and get you fitted." Momo nodded, smiling at her.

"Oh. Great! We'll do that, then."

Fujiyomo Takziki was integrated into his book, following each word letter by letter, while alternately thinking about the past couple of months. He had already tried practicing his Baika no Jutsu at his own home out in the suburban area outside of Tokyo. He hadn't been as successful as he had wanted. Luckily, they had a big dog, and he was able to explain the broken case without making his parent too angry. Of course, when they were going to scold the dog, he had immediately jumped in, saying that it was really his fault because he wasn't paying attention. They had been mad a bit, but everything was calm, now.

His nose still stuck in the book, Takziki furrowed his eyebrow. "Hmm...says here that chakra is just like chi..." he said to himself, still reading the book as he walked. _Yeah right. Just like chi, only much lamer._ "So, perfect chakra control equals the rate at which one can use the chakra. Therefore, all I need to do is practice with my chakra control and manipulation. Good. Right. Easy enough. After all, I was always one of the smarter kids in my class." Looking about at the wandering people, he turned his back towards one of the buildings, taking a quick glance to be sure no one was watching him. _No time like the present, I suppose._ Taking his hand and placing it in front of him, he closed his eyes, concentrating. He could feel the flow of something going from his feet...his legs...his torso, going up through his arm and into his fingers. He could feel it at the very tips of his digits. He smiled, feeling the control he was gaining...until someone bumped into him.

In his excitement of being able to control something he never thought he would, and the anxiety of having someone bump into him, he yelped...and lost control. Immediately, his hand ballooned to three times its normal size. In a panic, he thrust it back into his coat, feeling a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry about that. Are you alright?" Someone unfamiliar. Didn't matter. At the moment, he had to get away and figure this thing out.

"Yeah yeah. I'm fine. Sorry." Turning, Takziki took off, zipping around in the crowd until he could duck into a side-alley. Taking out his hand carefully, he gazed at it...willing it to go back to normal. _Oh man...that was close!_

Hina hadn't watched where she was going, being in deep conversation with Momo. They had been too caught up in going to the ramen bar, and she had bumped into the boy. When he had turned, muttering an apology of some sort, she traced his face. _That boy...looks familiar,_ she thought to herself. Suddenly, he took off, leaving her in his dust. She wondered if he was someone from the Academy, but of course, she didn't really know anyone, so probably not. "So sorry..." she whispered as he left in a hurry.

Momo herself was unaware of the encounter until she felt her body press into Hina's. Blinking and looking forward, she caught a glimpse of the boy leaving. The first thing she thought was that he was a stranger attempting...something. However, upon hearing Hina apologize again, she calmed down. She could usually sense trouble, because she was usually the one causing it. But...this time seemed alright.

"Well, Momo. Let's get to that ramen bar, huh?" Upon hearing the words that she so wanted to hear, Momo smiled, punching the air with glee. "Alright, Hina! Let's go!" Grabbing Hina's hand, she sped down the sidewalk, weaving in and out of people walking and quickly sprinting around the corner.

* * *

Susumu exited the train, still feeling weird. The silver-haired kid just wouldn't get out of his mind, and he really wanted to go and ask him about the connection he felt with him. However, more pressing matters, like getting home, seemed to be on his mind. Turning to the map on the wall of the station, he failed to notice the kid leave.

Jason took a quick glance around, deciding to head up the street and towards a small restaurant he knew about. Then, he would go to his little flat before reading some more and heading to bed. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he picked his way up the road, weaving in and out. All he wanted to do was eat and go home...no distractions. Nothing. Besides, the kid on the train was beginning to bug him. _Hn. It's not like I look for reincarnates. Just because I am one doesn't mean that I have to be a stupid magnet!_

Wiping her mouth daintily on a napkin, Midori took a glance at the clock. The sun was already starting to go down, and a deepening shade of darkness was beginning to show outside. Gulping the last bite down, she turned to her host, bowing her head slightly. "Sir...shouldn't your son be coming home about now?" Her chief took a glance at the clock, nodding slightly.

"Hm. You're probably right, Midori-san. Perhaps I should go look for him."

The woman stood, shaking her head. "No need, sir. I'll take a walk around. I'm sure I'll find him. I'll send him along when I see him." The chief looked doubtful for a moment before sighing.

"Alright, Midori-san. Well, if you're sure, then alright. Thank you for having dinner with us. I'm sorry my son was so...difficult." Midori smiled to herself at her chiefs apology, shaking her head.

"Not at all, sir. This was wonderful. I will see you tomorrow. Don't worry about the ride. I'll take the Metro home." Turning and taking her coat, Midori went to the door, opening it and giving the man a small salute. "See ya!" Closing the door before the man could react, she quickly walked down the drive, her laptop securely in her grasp.

As she began walking towards the Metro, she suddenly felt a slight disturbance ahead of her. _Hm...that's an interesting feeling._

_**Someone is coming, Midori-san. Get ready.**_

_Is it your brother, Itachi?_

_**No, it is...someone **_**else.**

_What should I do, Itachi?_

_**Just wait...**_

Jason continued walking, his MP3 player bumping in his ears. He couldn't help but feel like someone was watching him, but the easiest way to stay out of the way and not be noticed...was not to notice anyone else. His head down, he sighed, wondering just what he wanted at the restaurant. "Hmm...perhaps some pocky today...or...ramen?" Suddenly, a hand grasped his shirt, and before he could utter a protest, it took him from the milling people and slammed him into a wall down a back-alley. His head shot up, and he glared at the woman in front of him.

Midori blinked, staring at the wisp of silver lined hair falling from the front of the boy's cap. _A...boy with silver hair?_

_**Hn...glad to see him again...**_

_Who, Itachi?_

Immediately, Midori felt her body leave her own control. Uttering a curse under breath, she could only watch the events from the inside of her mind as Itachi took over the control of her body. A smirk appeared on her face as Itachi, via her, allowed the boy to drop. "Who are you?" The voice was hers...but held a drip of malice and uncaring sarcasm.

Jason sneered up at her, fixing his cap and taking the MP3 player from his ears. "Hn. Jason McOrmen." He couldn't tell for sure...but he sensed that he knew this person ahead of him. That smirk never left her face, either. _Man, _he thought. _I'd love to smack that smirk off her face._

"Hm. Now, let me ask another question. Are you someone else?" The question stunned the silver-haired boy into submission. What was going on? Someone else?

"Hn. Who wants to know?"

"Me. Now, I'm asking you. Are you someone else?" Midori's voice was now highly sarcastic, as if willing the boy to lie. So, instead of humoring her...Jason merely told the truth.

"Sure I am. Aren't we all, truly?" The girl grunted, turning from him to peer out into the mass of people.

"It is good to see you again...Hatake Kakashi..." Now, Jason was quite stunned. Not only stunned...scared.

_Holy shit! How did she know?_

_**Because, Jason-kun. She...is Uchiha Itachi. I could tell that sarcasm and that non-chalant voice anywhere. Do you mind if I take control for a moment?**_

_Will it help my case if I said no, Kakashi?_

_**Hm...not really...  
**_

_Fine then. Go ahead, Kakashi. I'll wait here, I suppose._ Closing his eyes to allow the transfer of soul interlink, Jason allowed himself to go into the back of his own mind, allowing the soul of Hatake Kakashi to come forward. Opening his eyes, Jason quickly brought the cap down over his left eye...the Sharingan now blazing deeply within it. "So, Itachi. How are you after all these years?"

"Oh...the same, I suppose. Still reading those books of yours, Hatake?"

"Hm...perhaps. I still enjoy a good read. That was always something you could never appreciate, Itachi."

"Hn. Perhaps." As both stood, watching each other, someone else noticed the small interchange down the side alley.

"Um...is something going on here? Is that you...er...Midori, was it? What's this kid done? Is he a criminal?" Susumu had finally found his way home...and now he had a cop and a silver-haired kid down an alley near his house. He had to find out what was going on.

"Hm. Perhaps. Tell me, Susumu. Do we look familiar to you?" Midori asked. Jason, his resolute blue-gray eyes watching the boy, stood stock still, keeping his silence. Susumu blinked at them both, and then back at Midori.

_What the hell is this feeling I'm getting? It almost feels like...I want to punch this chick in the face! _Shaking the feeling off, Susumu sighed. "Well, I did see you at my house, remember?" Turning to Jason, he pointed. "And I ran into you at the train station. So...yeah, you look familiar. Why?" He frowned. The familiarity he felt with these two was uncanny. It was more than just a passing feeling.

Jason sighed from where he stood, turning to look at him as well. "Because, Susumu, if that is your name...you look like someone else...so chances are, you have someone else sharing that head of yours."

Midori nodded in agreement. "You are like us. A reincarnate."

Susumu blinked at them both. _What the hell? _"A reincarnate? What the hell are you talking about? I've never been anyone but me! You're both freaking insane!"

Midori smirked. _**He doesn't seem to get it, Midori-san. What should I say? We weren't exactly on speaking terms back when.**_

_I don't know, Itachi. He's your brother! You say something to him! You have control over my body right now, remember? By the way, even think about moving your hands from their position...and you're toast! _

Itachi smirked slightly from his position. "Basically, what you know about religion is wrong. Everyone you know is a reincarnate of someone else. A soul never leaves the earthly realm...it simply transfers. However, you yourself are a special variety of reincarnate. You are a shinobi. Namely, one...Uchiha...Sasuke." In her head, Midori took a breath, wishing she could close her eyes and not watch the scene. She knew what would happen next. The thoughts and memories of his former self that would flood Susumu to the point of breaking. She felt sorry for him at that moment. After all...they were 'related'...so to speak.

Jason took a glance at Midori, and then back to Susumu, who's eyes were beginning to glaze over slightly. "Just think a little, Susumu. Remember..."

Susumu blinked. His head was beginning to get fuzzy...as if he had been drinking for hours on end...and hadn't been smart enough to quit. "Uchiha...Sasuke...?" His lungs began to grope for air, and his head reeled. Suddenly, it hit him like a truck. Gasping, Susumu hit the ground on his knees, clutching his head in sheer panic. Images and nightmarish pictures flooded his vision. Bloody weapons...broken bodies...fire...pain...destruction. Above it all, this longing he couldn't begin to imagine. When he thought he couldn't go on...when the pain was too great...when his eyes seemed to bug out of his head...Susumu did the only thing he could think of.

Susumu Aoru threw his head back and shouted as loud as possible. Anything to get rid of the pain in his temples. As he watched the scene, Jason turned to Midori, who still had the smirk on her face. "Did you have to be that brutal to your brother, Itachi?"

"Yes, someone had to tell him. If no one had told him, his personality and self-consciousness would have been swallowed by my brothers psyche. But beyond that..." Itachi began, than turned to see Susumu crouched on the ground, still yelling in his pain. "It was just fun to see this..."

* * *

Next Time: Susumu figures out who he is, and has a little 'talk' with his other self. Momo and Hina do something dangerous, stupid, and completely heroic. Takziki must solve riddles that he can't figure out. And...a death!

A/N: Chapter three, done to a T! Now, for the other stuff.

**Jutsu's:** Baika No Jutsu: Multi-Size Technique

The people who have made this fanfic possible:

(American) Jason McOrmen/Hatake Kakashi: snowymountains56

(Japanese) Aoru Susumu/Uchiha Sasuke: Chosha Kurenai

(Japanese) Koyuki Midori/Uchiha Itachi: (Now) DorothyxCookie

(Japanese) Haruki Hinageshi/ Unrevealed: (Now) xXSoldierXx

(Japanese) Otomiya Moriko/ Unrevealed: Inuys-hispanicgirl

(Japanese) Fujiyomo Takziki/ Akamichi Chouji: Uzuki-kun


	4. Premonitions

**Fukkatsu: The New World Order**

**Chapter 4: Premonitions**

* * *

As Susumu squirmed on the ground, clutching his head as emotions, images, and persona's flooded his psyche, his two watchers glanced nervously at each other.

Midori began to fidget agitatedly, glancing about for other people who may have been watching Susumu's fit. "Hm. Perhaps this wasn't as brilliant of an idea as I once thought."

Jason could only shake his head. "You outdid yourself, Itachi." Suddenly, a kunai appeared in the boy's hand, and he glared up at the taller female. "Now, what else did you have in mind? He is still my pupil, somewhat. I won't allow you to hurt him."

From seemingly nowhere, a very feminine persona replaced the cool, calculating one. Midori was once again herself, and the fear and sorrow she felt for Susumu pervaded even Jason's mind. "I don't know who you are, Kakashi, but I won't hurt him, and neither will Itachi."

Inside of her mind, Itachi could only smirk. **I was never planning on hurting him, Midori-san. I was simply attempting to open his mind.**

Midori half-nodded to herself, half to Itachi. "I know, Itachi-kun...I know."

"Was this really necessary, Midori-san?" Jason asked, Kakashi having retreated back into the recesses of his mind. As Jason understood it, the longer an entity had control, the weaker it became. Soon, it had to relinquish control, or risk damage to its hosts' body. Or, that's what Kakashi had explained to him, at least.

Midori sighed as she continued to watch Susumu writhing on the ground. "Yes, Jason-san. Someone had to tell him. If no one had told him, his personality and self-consciousness would have been swallowed up by his other self." She seemed to not even notice Jason's reproving glare. Her legs began to move forward, and silently, she went to the boy, kneeling and holding his shoulders, attempting to support him as his convulsions worsened. "You're going to be ok," she cooed, stroking his shoulder. "Just...just don't let him take over. Fight it, kid. Fight."

She felt bad for him. Sasuke's memories couldn't be pleasant, especially after she had gone through Itachi's memories. One Uchiha's memories were plenty for a single life-time. Two life-times was far too much. _You made sure that he was miserable, right? Are you proud of yourself, Itachi-san?_ She said, sneering slightly at her other half.

**I had my reasons,Midori-san, **Itachi replied non-chalantly.

_You're right, Itachi-san. _Snapping out of her inner conversation, she saw the twitching beginning to diminish. "Hold on, Susumu. Hold on!"

* * *

Nervously, Takziki stood behind a lone trash receptacle in the back-alley where he had retreated to. He hadn't thought about the consequences of using chakra, jutsu's, or anything like that. All he had wanted was the ability to be something else, something besides a screw up who was just good at math. He didn't want to be just a baker's son in the middle of Tokyo. He wanted to grow up and do something with his life.

As he stood in the alleyway, willing his hand to return to normal size and smiling when it finally did so, he began to think. What about this new power he had discovered? What could he do with it? When should he use it? Why or how should he use it? Could he be a superhero? He pondered it more and more...but never took notice of the stranger, slowly creeping up behind him.

"Oy! Kid, give me your money. Now!" Takziki yelped slightly, jumping around to stare at the man behind him, brandishing a very dangerous looking knife. Probably thirty years old, ratty and torn looking. He held nothing more than the knife, but it was enough to put fear into Takziki's heart. Never really one for fighting or being at all brave, the boy shrank back, trying to find a route for escape.

"I...I..." Takziki stuttered. He didn't have any money, and what money he did have was safely tucked away in the sock drawer at his small apartment.

The man snarled, taking a menacing step towards him. "Don't you play smart with me, you little son-of-a-bitch! Just give it up...or things are going to get real bad like, got it?" Takziki gulped, trying to walk slowly back into the street. The man must have picked up on it, because he threatened him again. "I said don't play smart, kid! Stay right there and hand it over...or your parents are going to need to find themselves a body bag!"

* * *

After nearly a half-hour of teeth grinding and muscle twitching, Susumu's spasms began to diminish. "Mi...Midori-san? Wha...what happened?" Susumu stuttered, holding his aching head as visions continued to swim shakily through his vision.

Midori just hugged Susumu closer, a tear etching down her face. "Oh, I'm so glad you're alright, Susu-kun. So glad..."

Jason's eyes rolled as he knelt down, placing a hand on Susumu's arm and sending a small shock of chakra into Susumu's shaken body, trying to ease the flow of blood pounding through Susumu's frame. He knew what it was like, reawakening into the other's psyche. He had had the unpleasantry of discovering them in school. He was still being called names.

As he felt his body give in to the chakra surge, Susumu sighed. Blinking through the haze, he stared up at what he could tell was a silvery form in front of him, giving him a small nod of the head. "T-thanks..." he managed. Then, he blinked. "K...Kakashi?"

Jason frowned slightly at having been called that, but slowly, he nodded. "Hai. Kakashi."

"Good job," Midori said, nodding at Jason. Lowering Susumu to the ground slowly from where she had been holding him, she stood, wiping off her forehead. _Good. He remembers now. Not everything yet, but now he knows who he is and where he comes from. _She smiled, and then a thought occurred. _Wait. He knows who I am then. _Her teeth clenched in reaction. _Let's see...a logical reaction or a murderous rampage? Crap...why did he follow us again? Damn curiousity. Well...goodbye peaceful night._

_

* * *

_

Hina tried not to cry out as Moriko grasped her hand and dragged her around the corner towards the ramen shop. But, as they bolted around the brick building, Hina's eye caught something. Looking back, she gazed past pink pair and busy streets to see the boy that she had run into, trapped in the back of an alleyway. "Wait! Momo!" She shouted, tugging back against the blond.

Momo felt herself be completely reversed, catching her footing luckily and letting Hina pull her in a different direction. Had she run the wrong way?

Hina tugged fervently. "That boy! That boy from the street! He's being mugged!"

Momo's eyes widened and blinked rapidly as what Hina was saying penetrated her. _Mugged? _Momo was pretty sure that being mugged was just as bad in Japan as it was in America.

Now Hina had done it, and she knew it. She had heard enough already about Moriko's felony-filled past, and Hina knew that the blond could kick some serious ass...and kick it hard. Gesturing down the dark alley across the street, she implored again. "Over there, Momo! We have to help him!"

Narrowing her eyes and quickly reversing her position, Momo began to pull Hina along with her, heading across the street and toward the alley. Her free hand balled into a fist as her eyes adjusted quickly to the dim lighting.

Diving forward, Momo positioned herself in front of Takziki, taking a street fighter's stance. Her hands outstretched and her knees bent as she stood, despite Momo wearing a fairly tight fitting skirt. Glaring balefully at the man in front of her, she grinned.

He was old. Old...and most likely, probably very slow. At least, slower than Momo at any rate. As she entered the scene, his eyes widened in surprise. _Never thought a girl would come to the rescue, huh tough guy?_ She thought to herself. Her eyes skimmed him, and she took in his ratty appearance and shoddy look. Deducing that the man only carried the knife that was in his hand, she smirked. None of his pockets held anything, and nothing seemed tucked away in a waistband.

Momo rolled her eyes. _Amature..._

As she watched, what she said went through Hina's mind over and over. Okay, so _Momo_ had to help him. _Come on, Hina_ she thought to herself sourly, almost as if she were ashamed, or as if she should have known better. Seriously, this was the same mousy, near-sighted, pink-haired fifteen year old girl with the four-point GPA.

But that was the jist of her accomplishments. Excluding Momo, who was newly acquired and didn't even make the tally, Hina had no friends or social life outside of the nerdy study groups she attended. She didn't even have any friends at the dojo.

She didn't even want to imagine what would happen if she involved herself in a battle against a mugger. Sure, Hina had this odd, unimaginable strength that she still had a hard time comprehending, and she was a black-belt at the aforementioned dojo, but she didn't have the guts to harm another human being...even if he was a mugger. Because, once standing face-to-face with him, she wouldn't see a mugger, or a killer, or a bad person. She would just see a man.

"I'll let you off easy...if you just go away now," Momo said, tucking in her right arm in a ready position for a punch or snatch. Motioning at Hina, she gestured at Takziki. "Hina, can you get this guy out of here." He seemed in shock at the moment, and Momo didn't need him in the way if she had to fight.

The man grimaced, twirling his knife with more expertise than Momo would have given him credit for. "No one is going anywhere, little girl. Now you're all gonna pay up, or your blood is going to be all over this nice, tidy ground we're standing on. Give it up...now!"

"Shut up, you sorry excuse for a human being!" Momo retorted, cracking her neck in anticipation. Though she didn't want to admit it, this was exciting! She almost would have felt ashamed, but getting into a fight was thoroughly the best time she ever had.

Grimacing to herself, Hina thought about how badly she wanted to slam the guy's face in, and she would do it to if someone else didn't. But she knew afterward that she would be plagued by the guilt of having struck another person down. She would go over and over in her mind about the thrust, the impact...the blood.

Stepping to the right, Hina slowly took Takziki's hand, leading him away. "I'm sorry," she said to no one in particular. She couldn't fight in real life, and she couldn't put herself in harm's way. Best to let Momo take care of things.

"I said...you aren't going ANYWHERE!" The mugger yelled, taking a few steps forward to counter Hina's movement. Seeing this, Momo stepped over as well, her right hand snaking out and grabbing hold of the mugger's right, the knife poised. With a twist, it dropped painfully onto the ground, the mugger giving a small cry as his arm wrenched. Momo's foot came up, planting itself firmly into the man's cranium, her hand not letting go as she jumped up, her other foot swinging about forcefully and planting itself into his head. Head over heels he tumbled, slamming into a dumpster. A bag of trash rolled sloppily off of a heap, directly into the man's face as he stuttered to get his breath back.

Her eyes flaming, Momo got back into position, glaring directly at the man on the ground. "I warned you...but you tried to get to my friend. I can't forgive you for that..."

Hina watched the scene with a grin, watching her friend throw the man around. Giving Takziki another small yank, they both began to back out of the alleyway, Takziki shaking slightly in Hina's grasp. _Poor guy,_ she thought. _This can't be much fun._

Slowly, the man got to his feet, clutching his shoulder and ribs. Spitting out a small stream of blood, the mugger gave Momo a long stare through an eye that was almost shut. "You...stupid little girl. I'm going...to kill you..."

"I'd like to see you try, asshole," she said, still smiling. His roar echoed through the alley as he began running straight at her, his fist cocked back. Suddenly, her mind went blank, her fists and feet moving on their own accord. As the man reached her, his fist coming down, she dodged under, both hands moving like flashes. Her right smashed into his face, her left crushing into his lower ribs. As she connected, she grunted out words that she had never heard before. "_OTO...MI...YA_!" As the man staggered backwards under the force of the blows, Momo glanced to the side, eying a trash can with interest, jumping into the air, she landed gracefully on it, flipping in mid-air. Her right foot came down, smashing into the back of the man's head as her words echoed about her. "_MORIKO RENDAN_!"

The mugger went down without another word, lying prostrate on the ground as Momo stood up, catching her breath. She didn't know if the man was out cold, but she could tell that he was done.

Seeing the knife on the ground where the man had dropped it, Hina took the opportunity to snatch it up, not taking a closer look at the intricate carvings and dropping it into her purse. Watching Momo in action gave her a new found respect for her friend, and as Momo gave her final farewell's to the man lying in the alley, Hina only smiled. "I suggest you don't do this anymore, dude. Honestly...you pretty much suck at it. So, don't quit your day job. Unless, of course, you know...this _is_ your day job, in which case, you may want to quit it."

Flipping her blond pigtails, she sighed as she walked out of the alley. Hina was there, along with the boy they had rescued, and Hina let loose with a whoop. "Momo! That was fantastic! Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Momo smiled, her hand coming up to rub her head ruefully. "Um...well, on the street, I guess. It was nothing, really. Nothing. But, that was busy work. I'm hungry!"

Hina smiled. "I'm hungry too," she agreed. Suddenly realizing that the two weren't alone, she turned, nodding at Takziki. "My name is Hinageshi, by the way. This is Moriko. But, you can call us Hina and Momo. Would you...um...care to get a bite to eat?"

Interrupting, Momo smiled, throwing an arm about both Hina and Takziki. "Yep! Full name, Otomiya Moriko Usagi. But, as Hina here has said so quaintly, Momo will work just fine." Relaxing, she cracked her knuckles, stretching her arms out. "You two are alright then, yeah? Right?"

Hina blinked, trying hard not to say something sarcastic, but thinking it very loud. _Yeah, because I tooootally got my hands dirty in the one, Momo. _With a gasp, she clasped her hands over her mouth and her eyes went wide. "I'm so sorry, Momo!" she apologized.

Momo gave her a strange stare, and Hina suddenly remembered that she had an internal dialog. Blushing furiously, Hina shook her head and put on her best fake-your-best-smile smile. "Yep! I'm alright. Thanks Momo! You were great!"_ I don't know why I'm so jealous all of a sudden, _Hina thought to herself, giggling softly to write off her prior strange behavior. Everyone had been acting a bit strangely lately, and she wasn't certain why. Maybe it was PMS...but then again, the boys seemed to be acting out, too.

Momo continued to give her a loose stare, then shrugged. "Hm. Well, it's only my first day here in Japan, and already I've beaten someone up." She giggled. "Well, that's promising." She knew her father would not be pleased at all, but then again, he didn't have to know.

Suddenly, her nose twitched as she caught the scent of beef flavored ramen. She felt her toes practically curl...she could almost taste it! She caught herself. She had never had beef flavored ramen before, or at least, never had the real stuff. So...why...?

She shook off the feeling as extreme hunger. Smiling, she turned to the other two. "Come on! I need ramen...right now!" she said, clapping her hands together.

It was then that Takziki found his tongue. Having never been mugged before, or even been in a good fight before, he was still in a daze. For some reason, he also felt vulnerable. He had had two girls fight a battle that he had been incapable of moving in. While they had been talking, he was still sorting the fight out. The invitation to the ramen bar had barely registered. _Am...am I really that weak? No...no, of course not. But still..._ He shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts. As soon as he knew the expansion jutsu, it would never happen again.

His mouth opened, and words came forth. "T...thank you both. I...well. I think I'll join you after all. I think ramen is just what I need, in lieu of other things." As both girls turned to look at him, he slowly bowed his head. "My name is Takziki. Fujiyomo Takziki. You may call me Taki, if you wish."

Smiling, Hina nodded at him. "It's lovely to meet you, Takziki-san. I'm glad that you'll be joining us." Suddenly, her feet left the pavement, and she began sprinting towards their destination, the words, "RACE YA!" lingering in the air. Both of the other teens glanced at each other before smiles plastered on their faces, and they took off into the crowd, making their way towards the ramen bar at the end of the street.

Ichiraku's ramen bar, the best known ramen bar in Tokyo.

* * *

Slowly regaining his senses, Susumu staggered to his feet. Clutching his head, he smiled weakly at the two still watching him. "S...Sorry."

Throwing a glare at Midori, Jason sighed. "It's not your fault, Susumu. Don't be sorry."

Midori sighed as well. "He's right, Susumu. It's my fault. I'm the one who should be sorry." Bowing her head in regret, she closed her eyes.

Quite quickly, Susumu's attitude changed slightly. Giving Midori a sharp look, he grunted. "I can't believe someone like you ended up a girl." Still trying to orientate himself, he attempted to get under control. If Midori was who he thought she was, than he was in no condition to fight just now. Still, Itachi...apologizing? What was the woman playing at?

Brushing himself off, as if he had phantom dust on himself, Jason sighed, turning. "Just go home and think for a while. I'll be...around. As Kakashi always says, walking on the path of life and what not," he muttered, walking into the street and heading back to his own home. It had been a rather strange day, and he needed to do some reading and get to sleep.

Midori remained, smirking at Susumu, who continued to glare at her. "He can't believe it either. But, before you judge me, you must know that Itachi and I are not the same person. Now, do as Kakashi says, and go home." Smiling, she turned, giving him a butt-flounce and a wave of her hand. "Ja ne...little bro. Teeheehee..." Then, she poofed away, her smoke billowing around Susumu's form as he glanced nervously about.

Unsure of what to do, Susumu took the advice to heart. Head aching, Susumu turned and made his way back to his house. He had a LOT of thinking to do, and he felt that he hadn't slept for days on end.

It didn't take him long, and he wasn't sure how he had managed to get home, but he did. Walking into the house and kicking off his sandals, he made his way wearily upstairs, where he knew his bed was waiting for him. Ignoring his father who asked him where on Earth he had been, and his mother's worried "Susu-chan?" as he passed, Susumu entered his room, closing the door and giving into the pain.

Whimpering, he covered his eyes as he crawled into bed, not caring about the clothes he wore. Curling up, he let himself drift off into an uneasy sleep filled with partially formed memories and feverish nightmares.

* * *

Being as athletic as she was, Hina made it first easily to the ramen bar. Of course, the head-start that she took was a contributing factor. As she dove into the ramen bar, her arm extended out, tagging the bar. A triumphant smile plastered itself on her face as she turned and watched Momo and Takziki filter in slowly. Sticking out her tongue, she shrugged at both of them. "Sorry. Just thought it'd be fun for a change. I guess I didn't deserve the head-start." Bowing, she apologized again, but the grin never vanished from off of her face.

It would have been something spontaneous that Momo would have thought that she would have brought up, but oh well. "Cheater..." she murmured softly, and then laughed. "Naw, just kidding. That was an awesome race, Hina!" Pulling Hina into a half-hug, she hip bumped her, making the pinkette lose her footing slightly and laughing at the awkward way she pulled herself back up.

Momo winked at her as Hina threw her a pout. "All's fair, all's fair. Now, let's order! Takziki-san! Over here!" She gave Takziki a wave as he glanced about nervously, motioning to a booth.

The boy looked around for a moment before where they were dawned on him. _Ichiraku's Ramen Bar, huh? Good._ Seeing the casual glances people were giving him, he coughed politely, going to the booth and sitting opposite of Momo and Hina, who had just sat down herself.

A kindly girl walked up, holding a pad of paper and bowing formally to them. "Welcome to Ichiraku's Ramen Bar! Can I be of service today?"

Takziki smiled at her, raising his eyes. "Oy, Mizu-chan."

The woman blinked for a moment before she smiled. "Oh...Takziki-san. Konnichiwa! I didn't recognize you at first." Then, she leaned down, winking at him. "Who are your lady friends, huh?"

Takziki blushed, nodding at each of them in turn. "This is Moriko and Hinageshi, Momo and Hina. Can we get some ramen, Mizu-chan? We had a long day, and I almost died...seriously, almost died. At the moment, we're all dying...of hunger. Not really, but you know what I mean."

Mizu blinked. "Almost died? What happened, Takziki-san?"

Momo smiled, leaning over the table. "It was awesome! Some guy had Takziki cornered in an alley, and Hina and I were all like 'oh no! Let's go save the day!' And then this guy totally took out a knife, and I was all like, 'wahhhhh!' and hit him in the face! And he was all like, 'bam!' and smashed into this dumpster, and then I was like, 'boom sucka!' and hit him in the head with my foot, and Takziki and Hina here started hitting him with bats! It was a-ma-zing!"

Mizu glanced at the three strangely, a smile cracking on her lips. "Riiigght...three bowls of ramen, coming right up. Interesting friends you have, Takziki-san. Interesting..."

As the girl left, Momo burst out into raucous laughter, more at the sake of her own account of what happened than the girls reaction to it. Takziki even allowed himself a small smile.

Hina turned to Takziki, crooking her head slightly. "How did that girl know you, Taki-san?"

"My father supplies this place with their noodles and bread," Takziki replied. "We should get good service here." Sometimes it helped to be the son of a bakery mogul after all.

Momo smiled brightly, her laughter having subsided. "Wow! That's really cool, Takziki-san!" Then, she sighed, snuggling down in the bench seat. "This day just gets better." Her hand wandered on the table, and she picked up the utensils. They were only chop sticks. Furrowing her brow, she gazed at them. "Hmm...do you think they have spoons or something?" She whispered lightly, poking Hina.

Takziki smirked. "I'm sure American tourists come here every once in a while, so they have to have forks for those without the...ahem...sophistication to use chopsticks." Making sure to smile at the last part so the blond would know he was joking, he grabbed a pair of the chopsticks, whittling them apart in his hands. Than, he began strumming on the table top.

"This seems rather boring, just waiting. Especially after what happened today," he said to himself, almost thoughtfully.

Momo's eyebrow had risen slightly at Takziki's joke, but then, her humor got the best of her, and she smiled along with him. Hearing his comment, she nodded. "Hai, Taki-san. It does seem boring." Then, she turned. "Did that guy in the alley just randomly jump you? Or was that creep following you for a while?" Her eyebrow rose slightly as well. "Just curious, but...what _were_ you doing in that alley anyway?"

Taken slightly aback at the question, Takziki blushed, lowering his head to try and regain composure before the girl saw. Sitting near a pretty girl had already began to make him nervous. How was he going to ever answer that question? "Oh...well...erm...he...uh..." He coughed, regaining some sense of dignity. As nonchalantly as possible, he said, "I think that he was always in that alley. I just didn't see him when I walked into it. As for me, I was...well..." He glanced about, trying to find an answer before locking eyes with Momo. "I was reading. I guess I was trying to find somewhere more quiet. So much for that, huh?" He hoped the answer would be good enough. _Damn it. I need to get this chakra control thing down pat. Otherwise, something else might happen like it did today. Only next time, I may not have heroes on my side..._

Hina merely smiled politely, fingering her chopsticks. _Somehow, I'm just not buying into that explanation._

Momo nodded. "So...reading?" She asked slowly. Shrugging, she added, "well, just stay away from those alleys." Winking at him, she said, "you might not be saved next time." Giggling, she reached over the table, giving him a slight punch on the arm for emphasis. "I'm sure any alley anywhere in the world is going to be dangerous, so...yeah."

"Here you are." The waitress had come back, placing two bowls on the table. Momo sighed with contentment, reaching over and taking her bowl from Mizu herself.

"Thank you soooo much!" Momo said, placing her bowl on the table and eying it with sadistic pleasure. "Looks soooo good!"

"Actually, the book I found is quite interesting," Takziki said, picking slowly at his food. The nervous energy he felt had sated his appetite easily. "Here, take a look." He began digging in his pocket, coming up with a small handbook. It was only a hundred pages or so, and the author wasn't well known, but it was interesting. Especially in the way it talked about chakra, and the ability to use it. "It's called _Past Warriors: A Look Into Ancient Fighting Styles and Element Manipulation._ Here." He laid the book near Hina's arm, turning back to his ramen.

Glancing at the book with a mouthful of ramen, Momo blinked at the title. "_Past Warriors: A Look Into Ancient Fighting Styles and Element Manipulation?_" Furrowing her brow, she took the small book and opened it, reading a passage to herself. "Hm...interesting." She leaned over, allowing Hina a look at it as well.

Staring curiously at the book on the table, Hina tried not to show too much interest as she began picking at her ramen. She didn't wish to splatter broth all over her brother's sweater. If she did, she would have to wash it for the fourth time that week.

However, Momo's interest in the little book made it hard for Hina to resist. What about the book was so special that Takziki had to read it in a shady alley? "I hope you don't mind," she whispered, motioning at it. Takziki nodded as she picked it up, fingering the spine and flipping through the pages. The entire time, she held onto the title, the words ringing around in her head. _Past Warriors: A Look Into Ancient Fighting Styles and Element Manipulation_ she thought over and over again. As her eyes skimmed over the words on the pages, she frowned, feeling strangely familiar with the book.

As her eyes zipped over the words formed in the ink, she seemed to recall having read it somewhere before. Everything she read in the small pamphlet she seemed to have already known somehow, but the title of the book was unfamiliar to her, as well as the author. Whether or not the author was a big bestseller or not, Hina had a photographic memory and would've recalled the heading or novelist if she had read even a paragraph in the entirety of her short lifetime.

_That's strange,_ she thought, putting the book back down on the table. Takziki sure had an extraordinary taste in books. "Well, it's certainly interesting," she said, humoring herself and her friends. It would probably be best if Hina just wrote the recollection off as a fraudulent deja vu. _But...where do I know this from?_

Momo idly watched as Hina flipped through the first few pages of the book. She had found it very interesting as well, but she didn't have the patience to read and she knew it. It was just a curse. No matter how much she'd _want_ to read it, she'd end up skimming the good parts. Momo always waited for the movie version, anyway.

Turning her attention from the book to her ramen, she began to dig in. Realizing how hungry she really was and how empty her stomach was, she found that she had a knack for using chopsticks and that the ramen was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted before. No American food could hope to compare with the Japanese art form.

Though, maybe that was because she was so hungry. A part of her just couldn't help but love the meal. Bringing the bowl to her lips, she slurped down the remaining broth, politely putting down the bowl and licking her lips. Turning, she offered the dish to Mizu, who had walked back to the table. "Seconds please!" She chimed with sparkling eyes, not resisting having more. She smiled across the table at Takziki and nudged Hina. "This stuff is good!"

Takziki watched the blond down her bowl of ramen, shaking his head. _Strange, _he thought. _People think that I eat too much. Ha!_

Laughing softly, Hina eyed Momo teasingly. "You want seconds already?" She was wondering just how the tiny blond girl had managed to down that bowl of ramen so quickly. If anything, Momo definitely had a boy's appetite. "Well, I think just this one is good enough for me," she admitted, gesturing down at her half-empty bowl of ramen. Her eyes were still peeled to the book. "I have to say, Takziki-san, this book is rather interesting."

Takziki smiled half-heartedly, picking up a piece of beef and eating it. "Yeah, it kinda grows on you. I don't really know how I found it. I saw it on the counter of some mom-and-pop bookstore, and it looked like a good read. Though, some of it is...a bit dry." He turned back to his ramen, stirring a noodle into a whirlpool shaped pattern. His thoughts went briefly back to the day he had gone to the fortune teller's for a reading.

"_Dad, why am I here again?" he asked._

_His father was a superstitious man. Turning to his son, he smiled. "You're going to talk to a fortune teller, son. Isn't that interesting?" Takziki snorted, turning his head and facing into the distance.'Yeah, thanks dad. Thanks for ruining my whole day with this...bull._

_Walking into the small room, Takziki peered about at all the oddities sitting on the shelves and bookcases. Tons of weird stuff. Eyes and tongues, ears in jars, pickles wings of animals, extracts from the roots of strange plants. "Do I really have to do this, dad?" he asked, attempting to appeal to his father one last time._

_His father merely snortled. "Yes, Takziki-kun. It's good for you to know things like this." As they stood, an ancient looking old hag walked in, pointing at them to sit. They did, Takziki taking the chair closest to his father...and the exit._

_Cackling lightly, the crone sat as well, staring across the table directly at Takziki, who fidgeted nervously. "Come...come. Tell me what you wish of me."_

_His father cocked his head at her, motioning at the boy next to him. "Can you tell us the boy's past and future? He needs to know that kind of stuff."_

_The old woman wheezed slightly, pouring something onto the crystal and staring at it. "Very well. Come young one. Gaze into the crystal ball. See your fate." Rolling his eyes and sighing, Takziki did as told_, _wondering how fast he could run out of the building. Suddenly, a picture appeared, and he glared at it. It was his reflection, only...he was much larger, and different looking. The person he was staring at had paint and tattoo's on his face. His hair was different, but the body...and the face._

"_What is that?" Takziki asked, glancing at the woman. She shrugged, pointing at the ball again._

"_That is for you to know. I can only show what has happened and what may happen. Only you may see it."_

_Takziki nodded at her, gazing back at the crystal. There he was, just standing there. Slowly, his body transformed, becoming a ball. Another image. This time, a girl with blond hair, and a boy that had hair that looked like...a pineapple? They were standing there with him. Others appeared as well. A boy with blond hair and whiskers on his face. A girl with pink hair. Another girl with dark hair and pearl colored eyes. A boy with a dog on his head. A boy with his hair cut in a bowl. Another boy with the same, pearl covered eyes as the girl from before. _

_Takziki watched as more faces and bodies emerged, wondering at the lifelike reality he was seeing. It was quite the show. But, that's all it was. A show._

_Standing, Takziki snorted. "This is stupid dad! She's just a crazy old woman and this is nothing but a hoax. Let's get out of here." Turning, he marched resolutely out the door. His father must have paid and apologized, because he had taken a few minutes to join him. Takziki was already in the car, muttering to himself. He had much to think about that day. Was it all a sham? Was it...something more? What exactly was it?_

A commotion from behind him brought him back to the present. He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. They still nagged at him, nonetheless.

The waitress returned, bowing as she laid the bowl of noodles in front of Momo. Clasping her hands together in delight, Momo turned to her. "Arigatoo, Mizu-chan!"

The waitress seemed to enjoy being called by her first name, as she smiled sweetly, bowing again. "Hai, Momo-chan." As she left, Momo glanced to the left at Hina's half-empty bowl, and she quirked an eyebrow at the pinkette. "You're already done? You hardly ate anything, Hina!" Momo smiled, tapping Hina's forehead with her chopsticks. "So, where are we heading after this, huh?"

Hina sighed, picking up her purse on the bench. "Well, I suppose I should be getting home. We have school tomorrow, and I need to study. I have a huge math test, and I have studying up the yingus to do."

Takziki nodded. "Hai, I think I'm in your class. That means that your math test is my math test. Maybe I'll see you there?"

"Of course!" Hina quipped, smiling. Turning to Momo, she gave the blond a hug. "Thanks for coming out with me! This was fun!"

"Are you kidding!?" Momo said, taking another bite. "I got to have the best ramen in the world, meet new people, and beat up a guy in an alley! Today was great! I should be thanking you!"

Finishing the bowl of ramen, Momo and the others stood up, walking out of the restaurant and getting a ride back to their side of the city on the monorail. As they left the bus station, they waved at each other. "See you at school!" They all said together, turning and walking off in their prospective directions.

* * *

Susumu watched the ceiling dully, one hand behind his head, the other covering his still aching forehead. Somehow during the night, Susumu had managed to sort out most of his, or Sasuke's as he had learned, memories. He was making sense of some of them. Some of the mental footage was still a blur to him, but from some of the things Susumu remembered more clearly, he hoped to god they stayed that way. He felt things he had never felt before, such sadness and rage that it had left him feeling emotionally drained. According to his memories, he had been some kind of shinobi of a powerful clan called Uchiha. What he wanted now was answers. Surely there had to be reasons for him remembering all of this stuff. There had to be reasons his old sensei and brother had been reincarnated.

Suddenly, Susumu sat up and choked. His brother, the murdering guy that he was, was a girl...and worked with his father! If that wasn't enough, it sounded like she actually cared for him, which freaked him out. No way! What was he...uh, she playing at!?

Susumu put his head in his hands and groaned. Why couldn't he be a normal guy? Why did he have to have the messed up past and have to remember it? There was only one thing he could think of now. Why were the shinobi of the past being reincarnated? Did it mean something?

"I think..." he muttered softly to himself, "that I need to find Ita...I mean, Midori." He tried hard not to think about Itachi. He didn't want to ignite the sleeping rage that lurked deep within him at the thought of that name. "Maybe I should find Kakashi or whatever his name is now. Maybe they'll have answers, or some idea. It can't all be coincidence that..."

"Susu-chan!" Susumu almost fell off of his bed as his name was yelled into his room. Then, his pride as Sasuke kicked in and he grimaced at being called -chan at all. "It's time for school, Susu-chan! You don't want to be late on your first day!"

Susumu blinked, wincing. "I don't really need this right now," he moaned. His head still felt muddled and confused, as if someone had stuffed cotton into it. Still, he reluctantly pushed himself out of bed and got ready. He would think about everything later. Right now, he needed to do something...Susumu-ish, before he went completely insane.

* * *

Once again, that dreaded alarm clock. She had had to borrow her father's because she had broken her last one. It beeped...and beeped...and wouldn't stop beeping. Tsumi-chi's hand slammed down on the button and...broke it. Hearing the crackling of wires, she opened one eye groggily.

"Kyaa..." Staring at the alarm clock smashed on her dressing table, she gazed down at her own hand. "Eh? How did I..."

"What was that noise?!" Her father asked, walking straight in without knocking. Seeing his messy haired, barely dressed daughter, kneeling on her bed, desperately shoving clock parts under her covers, he smiled, shaking his head.

"Oh...um...Daifu...heh...hehe..."

"Mhm. Tsumi-chi, it's time to get up. School..."

"Hai," Tsumi-chi nodded, not caring about her physical appearance as her head nodded rapidly. Her father turned, about to walk out, before he stopped at the door, almost leisurely.

"By the way, you're paying for a new clock."

Tsumi-chi paused for a moment before groaning heavily. Her father chuckled as he left the room, and she dove off the bed, cleaning herself up before tugging on her uniform. Adjusting it slightly to suit her needs, slightly loose but not sloppy, she added a few hair-bands round her wrist before putting on a skirt.

Her arm slipped, and she heard the rip of fabric of one of the hems. "Aw geez..." Why did she feel so out of place lately? Forgetting how to put on a skirt...feeling dizzy...the deja vu...breaking clocks?

"Hurry up, Tsumi!" Her mother called from downstairs.

Rolling her eyes, Tsumi-chi rushed down the stairs, shoving a piece of toast in her mouth whilst brushing her hair and preparing rice balls for lunch. _Thank the gods I'm a girl or this multi-tasking thing would be impossible. _Hopping on one foot as her other slipped into a shoe, she waved a hasty goodbye to everyone in the house as she slipped out the door. Glancing at her watch, she grimaced. _Only a few minutes before the train gets there. I have to hurry!_

* * *

Susumu had managed to get out of the house avoiding his father and only having minimal contact with his mother, since she was fussing about the state he had come home in the night before and left at a jog, sighing. Acting normal was odd, especially when he had two sets of normal acting to do. The first thing he wanted to do was be indifferent and slightly shy, the other being stoic, cold, and icily angry with a righteous fury behind it. It was scary. However, he had managed to focus on Susumu long enough to get out without raising suspicion, heading off to the train. Maybe he would see Kakashi there. Perhaps he could explain some of what he was feeling, and help sort out some of the memories.

* * *

Sighing into her pillow, Hina balled her fists around the cool cover, inhaling the fresh, crisp scent of her herbal shampoo. She knew it was Monday morning, and that she had school in about an hour and a half, but her alarm clock had yet to ring and she knew the little regulator in her head had chosen to wake her up a few minutes early.

Rolling over to shut the little purple mechanism off before it could begin blaring in her ears, she clicked the on/off button and slid off of the bed, leaving the covers in a relatively neat form behind her. Walking over to her vanity, she began to brush her hair, which wasn't much of a task considering it didn't tangle too easily.

She washed up in the too-large bathroom (with the checkerboard tiles and the shiny porcelain appliances), and got into her closet, dressing in the dry-cleaned skirt and shirt which was her uniform. It was rather impressive attire for just a standard high school, though theirs was far from standard. The Academy was a private high school, filled with cliques and clubs.

Like a good girl with something to do, she went to check yesterday's mail. She had come home so late from downtown after picking up Momo's uniform from the little tailor, that all of the chores had to be ignored. There was no note by the door and she was wondering if her parents had even come home work.

As she picked up the mail, she sighed. It was all junk mail.

Walking into the kitchen, she ate a small breakfast before pulling on her knee-highs and her shoes. _Remember your glasses,_ she reminded herself, finding them with ease and slipping on the silver-framed spectacles.

Shortly afterward she was on the metro's first-class car in her uniform and her reading glasses (which she only wore to school). Only half-way to school did her head jerk up and a gasp explode from her mouth. "I forgot about Momo!" she shouted. Hadn't they set up transportation arrangements? Hina cursed softly to herself. She was a genius, sure, but she could be such an airhead at times. "Please forgive me, Momo," she said over and over to herself.

There was no way back home at this point. The metro had almost reached the school district station where she could either take a bus or walk the rest of the way to the Academy. Then again, those were really only Hina's choices of preference. It was a private school, after all, paid for by rich parents and rich guardians, so chauffeurs were also an option.

* * *

Momo rolled over, the blankets randomly tossed and messed up. One blanket wrapped around her arms and limbs, her clock beeped a total of four times, already muffled on the ground by one of her many blankets. A curse of having a huge bed...

"Otomiya-sama...Otomiya-sama!" The maid looked puzzled as Momo slept on, snoring like a bear in a cave. The maid brushed her hands nervously on her apron and sauntered up. She gave Momo a quick shake, gently at first, but when Momo simply brushed her off with a lazy wave, she shoved her a bit harder.

Momo woke with a start, bolting upright in her bed and glancing at the maid. "Huh...wha?" she murmured, still half-asleep.

"You're going to be late," began the maid, and then, noticing Momo's blank expression, she continued to say, "for school, Otomiya-sama."

"Oh...alright. Five minutes..." Momo said, turning around and laying back down. Then, the realization hit her. "Oh...damn!" She yelled, bolting upright. Getting to her feet, she ran to her closet, pulling out her uniform. She smiled as she yanked it on. She liked it. It was so adorable!

Hopping into her shoes, she ran to the bathroom, washing and brushing this and that. Her thoughts drifted to Hina, and she hit her forehead with her brush.

"Oh! Hina! Damn damn damn! Damn it all!" She cursed.

Running from the bathroom, she quickly grabbed her books and smiled at the maid, who was standing with her mouth slightly agape. "Um...can you...uh, clean this up? Ok, thanks!" Momo flashed a smile, heading towards the staircase and running down them two at a time. Running into the kitchen, she fumbled around for something to eat, but found nothing, except a note on the fridge.

_You're late._

Momo's eye twitched. She recognized her father's handwriting. That makes two days not seeing him, she thought. He didn't come home when planned and he left earlier than planned. She rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore it.

Quickly grabbing her backpack from the living room where the maid had generously brought her things, she slung it over her shoulder and ran from the house, running down the street and glancing about the neighborhood for Hina and a limousine.

She tapped her foot on the pavement and sighed. _Maybe she left? _Glancing at her cell phone to check the time, Momo nearly screamed again. Of course Hina had left! She didn't blame her, it was Momo running late...on her first day! Just great...

Breaking out into a run, she began jogging in the direction that she knew school was in, she hoarsely caught her breath. After three blocks, she knew it was a lost cause. She would never get there in time. Suddenly, a honk from behind her turned her head, and her grimace of anger was quickly replaced by a smile of relief. That was her driver, her limo, and her salvation! She gave the chauffeur a thumbs up and quickly jumped in the back. "To the school!" she yelled dramatically, her smile still plastered on her face.

* * *

Takziki stood at his mirror, finishing his hair half-heartedly. His night had been full of tossing, turning, and nightmarish dreams, all reflecting something that he didn't fully understand. In one dream, he had been fighting other people, all with the same, strange powers that he had been learning about. One of those was a big guy, a much bigger guy than he could ever imagine. As they fought, he was saying words, making gestures. He watched the dream play out, almost giving himself a cheer as he won...or rather, whoever it was won, giving the big guy a one-two punch and knocking him down and out.

In another, he was running for his life, running through the streets of some city. Behind him, figures in cloaks trailed, each spouting fire, blowing things up, destroying, causing death. Men...men and a woman. Black cloaks with red clouds, destroying everything in their path.

Another dream. Big, huge...monsters? As a child, Takziki had had monsterous dreams before. Child-like imaginations will do that. But, these monsters he saw. They were far too real. A huge, raccoon shaped monster with an attitude. A gigantic turtle with multiple tails that spit balls of water. A wolf, and a snake. But above them all...the fox! A nine-tailed monstrosity that killed and maimed, rip and tore. It was horrific. The fear it put into Takziki, even when he was awake, was unbearable.

As Takziki grabbed his bag, walking out the door of his house, he gave his mother a smile as she pulled weeds in the yard. Smiling as well, she waved at him as he left for school, walking down the drive and heading towards the inner-city. He enjoyed the walk, and it wasn't far. Maybe he would even see Hina or Momo. It was a nice day, so children tended to walk to school, even from miles away. It was cheaper, and better for you.

"_So...you are back, yes? Do you wish to call me a fake again, then?" said the old woman, who had moved into the inner sanctum of her hut. _

_Takziki stood in the doorway, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "No, actually. I...I want to ask you if you would do it again. I'm...sorry about before. I...well..."_

_The old woman cackled. "I understand. You young ones with your television and your MTV and your video games. The old ways are new and strange, and you would rather not believe in them if you could help it." Taking the crystal ball from the shelf, she placed it gingerly on the table, taking a seat. "Very well. Look ye into the crystal ball, young one. See what only you may see." She began reciting the words from before, and, entranced, Takziki watched the images wax and wane._

_Forming slowly, the faces appeared. The blond girl and pineapple head. The blond boy. The pink-haired girl. A boy with hair shaped like a duck's butt. Then...other images. Cloaked figures. The beasts. The...the..._

"_EEEEEKKKK!" Jumping up, Takziki glanced about nervously, wondering where the shriek had come from. Wondering if he had inadvertently cried out, he glanced at the old woman, who seemed to be asleep. Her eyes flickered slightly, and he blinked at her._

"_Hey! Old woman...are you..." He began, touching her shoulder. Suddenly, her eyes shot open, and she glared at him. Shifting nervously, he sat back down as her hand rose up, a finger pointing accusingly at him. _

_Her voice took on an eerie tenor, and she began to speak, as though in a trance. "From night you come, and stealth you use, a hidden power nature fused. Fleet of foot and swift of hand, protector of an ancient land. One who ruled, to command, gone all gone, by the god's command. Each of you a part to play, coming to the end of days! Beware the one who's ringed by fate, whose heart drips with angered hate. Band together the good must be, or the end of days the world will see!" Then, she slumped in the chair, her chest hardly lifting. _

"_Hey! Wake up! Stop sleeping! What are you saying! Who's ringed? What are you talking about!?" Takziki shouted, giving her another shake to try and wake the old hag, but to no avail. No more visions appeared to him. Nothing. Sighing, Takziki left money on the table and strode from the tent, his head feeling fuller and more confused than ever._

Takziki still had his thoughts with him as he glanced up. The school lingered in front of him. Sighing, he continued walking towards the cross walk. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

A crowd had gathered at the train station, and as Tsumi-chi hurried up, she glanced hurriedly at her watch. "Aiya! I'm gonna be late! Damn..." Running up to one of the multiple ticket counters, she hastily placed a few yen into the machine, grabbing the ticket that popped out and running to the train yard, tapping her foot in anticipation for the arrival of the transport.

Susumu was also busy waiting, his father having thought ahead and having bought a roll of morning and afternoon tickets for Susumu to use. One was readily in his hand as he waited with everyone else. So, when the train rolled up, he quickly deposited the slip of paper into the counter, walking to the back of the train and taking one of the few available seats. He wondered how school was going to be when he had a ninja's memories.

Sighing with relief as she stepped into the back of the train, Tsumi-chi glanced about for anyone she knew. The train made a sudden lurch, and she fell forward...onto the lap of an old man. Flipping over, she smiled up at him, and he down at her. Turning tomato-colored, she blinked. "Heh...sorry."

"That's alright, young lady. My pleasure," he said. She gulped, hopping up and moving swiftly back further. Suddenly, she saw a familiar face in the crowd. _Oh! That guy from yesterday. Well, that's lucky. I can't find anyone else anywhere._

Sidling up to him, she sat opposite, staring across him towards a window. "Hi! I didn't know you went to this school too! This seat taken? No? Great!"

Susumu froze at the sound of the voice. It sounded a little different, but he could tell who it was immediately. The attributes of the voice were definitely feminine, but the voice still had that sound of authority with the charismatic tone. Another reincarnation. _T...Tobi? MADARA!_ He thought incredulously. However, he stopped himself from turning and putting a chidori through the girl's face. She's not him, Susumu reminded himself. _That was what the other two had said. Even though I have Sasuke's memories, I'm still me..._

Glancing up at her, Susumu shrugged, turning and staring out the window. "Don't care. Go for it."

"Thanks!" Tsumi-chi said. Tapping her foot, she glanced about. "So...how you been, Sas..." _Whoa! Sas...Sasuke? Where the hell did that come from? _Shaking it, she continued the conversation. "Er...how do you like Tokyo so far? It's nice, huh? Too early to tell?"

She glanced away, completely confused. What was it she said? Sasuke? His name wasn't Sasuke...was it? No. Definitely not. Not Sasuke. But...it was so familiar.

Susumu blinked, giving her a dead-pan stare with wide eyes. Maybe he had misheard her? He hoped so, but doubted it. Instead, he played dumb. "It's been...strange..." he said. It was the truth, at any rate. Discovering you're the reincarnation of a vengeful shinobi that could take out a demon in someone's head definitely classed as strange.

Tsumi-chi stared at him in surprise. "Um...strange?" She thought about it for a moment. For all her life, nothing had been that strange. Not until she had bumped into this guy. Then, things just started going crazy. "Well, I guess Japan could be...er...strange...But, we have good food! The Ichiraku Ramen Bar is the best! Oh, by the way, I didn't get your name."

Susumu blinked at her. _Isn't Ichiraku the place that Naruto used to go to? Weird. _"Uh." He stopped, forcing the memories down. "Susumu. Aoru Susumu. I didn't ask before, but..." he said, leaving the question hanging.

Tsumi-chi heard the name _Uchiha_ flash through her head. Blinking, she shook it off. "What's an Uchiha?" She said out loud. Then, as if noticing Susumu, she let her statement go. "But what?" He looked uneasy, as if something were troubling him. Tsumi-chi raised an eyebrow, confused. What was going on?

Covering up his unease, Susumu turned back to the window. "I never asked your name," he said simply, the Uchiha calm from his memories replacing his Aoru indifference. "I told you my name after all."

"Tsumi. Nakaowa Tsumi," she said, leaving out the -chi part, which she didn't care to pass about. The train suddenly halted, their school about three blocks from the stop. People began to pile out, and Tsumi-chi smiled. "This is our stop, Susumu-kun! Come on!" Grabbing his hand, she led him out of the train, weaving in and out of the people. "This is gonna be a fun first day, I can tell!" She said, leading him to the traffic stop in front of the school, waiting for the light to turn green.

* * *

Momo stepped out of the limo, smiling at the chauffeur. "Thank you so much! I swear that when I get the chance, I'm gonna get my dad to give you a raise!"

"My pleasure, Otomiya-sama. Have a good day." Smiling as he drove off, Momo turned to face the school. Luckily, it hadn't been bad traffic, and she didn't live too far away. She hadn't arrived late at all, which she was most thankful for.

Walking away from the pick-up/drop-off zone, she began towards the place where the students seemed to gather. Quickly, she scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face.

* * *

Tightening her grip on the little briefcase, Hina stared down at the shiny floor of the metro and tried not to sigh again. The entire trip, Hina had been trying to preoccupy herself but was having little to no luck. Her guilty conscience was racking her brain and punishing her for forgetting Momo.

So wrapped up and distracted by her mistake, Hina almost didn't realize the metro had reached the school district station. She could hear the hiss of the door as it was preparing to shut. Luckily, she was able to dart off of the seat and make it out before it closed, the train once again rolling down the tracks to its next destination.

It took Hina no more than five minutes to get down the escalators and out of the station. Her next choice was a quick one. She never used the chauffeurs and she never rode the bus the rest of the way to school. Every kid in Tokyo was a natural-born walker.

After she had finally begun to forgive herself for her blunder, Hina began to go over her algebra notes in her head. She had a quiz today. A big one. She was wishing that she was Momo. The lucky girl wouldn't have to take the test, which counted for more than a third of their grades.

Going over a problem, she sighed. "Let's see. Do you multiply the exponents on a monomial if it's in parenthesis, or do you add them?" She couldn't remember, so she puzzled over it for a moment before fishing about for her notes in her bag. Coming out with a sheet of paper, she stopped on the sidewalk, going over it. "Oh wait!" she exclaimed, clicking her fingers together. "You multiply them! How could I have forgotten that! It's so easy!"

* * *

Takziki glanced about, waiting for the light in front of him to change so he could walk across the street to the school. He was still in his own world, thinking about changes to his life. Taking out his book, he began going over the parts about chakra. "When balancing chakra, one must know their own limits and adjust the flow accordingly. If the flow is uneven or interrupted, the person using the chakra risks damage or death." Death? Really? _Wow, who knew that chakra was so important._ "Everyone on earth, regardless of ability or understanding, can use chakra. Everyone has chakra as a child, which begins to strengthen during the person's lifetime. However, only a handful ever realize this potential and have the ability to harness it." He smiled, nodding. He was one of the few. At least, one of the few who knew about the potential. That fact made him feel good. "However, chakra can also be provided through contact with another person. This is called chakra transfer. Helpful when one's chakra is low and a comrade has more than enough to sustain his/her life."

As he read, he began to see more images in his mind. The faces that he had seen before. The beasts. The black cloaks. The red clouds. One image in particular. A name. Who...what was it? Then, his mouth opened, and a word issued forth. A simple word, something that wasn't commonly used, but still very common in and of itself. Something he didn't recognize.

"Wait...what did I just say?" he said to himself. Instead of saying it again, he took out a pencil, etching it into the back of the book. He would remember it later, if it was important at all.

A flash of yellow in front of him turned his attention to the other side of the street. Momo's blond hair stuck out in the sea of brown and black like a neon sign. Smiled, he gave her a wave, which she didn't seem to see. The light went green, and he took off like a rocket, attempting to catch up with her. He didn't want her to wait on his behalf.

On his part, the truck driver never did see red light in front of him. He had no idea what a genjutsu was, either, nor did he see the boy running across the intersection. As for his part, Takziki never felt any pain. He was dead long before his body hit the pavement, rolling to a stop a few feet down the road as the grill of the truck struck him side-on. Feeling the bump, the truck driver stopped, swearing under his breath at every stray dog and cat in the neighborhood. Getting out of the cab, the genjutsu ended, and the man was left staring at the red light, the boy's body, and the intersection in chaos. Honking cars, panicked people.

Above them all, high on top of a building, a strange figure lowered his chakra level, staring down into the masses of people. A small smile graced his lips, and he uttered three more words before signing away in a puff of smoke.

"One...more...down..."

As the intersection broke into chaos, Takziki's book lay on the ground, pages flapping in the wind. A large, black word etched into the back continued to flap easily.

_AKATSUKI..._

* * *

Credits:

(American) Jason McOrmen/Hatake Kakashi: snowymountains56

(Japanese) Aoru Susumu/Uchiha Sasuke: Chosha Kurenai

(Japanese) Koyuki Midori/Uchiha Itachi: (Now) Dorothy- TheInsaneArcobaleno

(Japanese) Haruki Hinageshi/ Unrevealed: (Now) xXSoldierXx

(Japanese) Otomiya Moriko/ Unrevealed: Inuys-hispanicgirl

(Japanese) Fujiyomo Takziki/ Akamichi Chouji: Uzuki-kun

(Japanese) Nakaowa Tsumi/ Madara: xkawaiichix

Jutsu's: **Otomiya Moriko Rendan** : Moriko Otomiya Barrage

Next Chapter: After the school settles down, it is time for classes. A mysterious stranger shows up, and things begin to get strange for Susumu, Hina, and Momo, who has to deal with something far more terrifying than a mere mugger in the street.


	5. Return To Terror

**Fukkatsu: The New World Order**

**Chapter 5: Return To Terror**

* * *

Tsumi-chi was in the middle of a conversation with Susumu, talking aimlessly about her home life, as Susumu simply ignored her slightly. "My mother is such a pest. She's always talking about how 'you need to shape up,' this and 'you should listen,' that. She's…" Suddenly, she heard a shout from in front of her, and some inner-sense immediately grasped her. Her head flew forward, and all she could see was a body flying through the air between the packed ranks of people in front of her. A horn blared on her right in the street, and she couldn't help herself. Her shriek actually brought Susumu's stare around, where his eyes widened at the boy's body rolling slowly along on the pavement.

_What the hell?_ He thought. He felt a faint glimmer of chakra, though he didn't quite understand it. _What was that?_ Immediately, his attention turned from the scene in front of him, and he glared about him into the crowd. _Someone did this. Who?_

Tsumi-chi got under control of herself rather quickly. Something caught in her throat, and for some unknown reason, she glanced upwards. She couldn't quite tell, but…_Was…was that a shadow?_

* * *

Hina had just finished sorting out her math for the day. Her eyes gave her paper another perusal as she felt herself leave the pavement of the walkway, entering the street. "Hmm…another slash here would make it five-thirds. Perfect!" A sudden scream from behind her popped her head up. To her right, half the traffic was blocked by a large semi-truck. In front of her, a streak of brown hair wisped, Takziki sprawled painfully on the street.

Her mouth dropping slightly agape, Hina reached out a hand to her newly acquired friend, as if she could touch Takziki from the distance between them. _Tak…Takziki-san…no…_

"Hey! Girl! Get out of the street!" Random voices, screaming. She looked about, puzzled. _Girl? What…girl…_It had to be her, right? Hina didn't see another girl out in the street.

"Girl! I said move! NOW!" There was a loud honk and a cloud of smoke billowing up around her. Hina screamed, shutting her eyes, coughing as car exhaust filled her nose and lungs. Her hair and skirt blew around her wildly and she stopped to hold them both in place.

_Nothing could have prepared me for this,_ she thought. Fear invaded her mind, clouding her senses. Shouldn't she have run? Why was she just standing there in the middle of the road like that? Maybe it was shock—shock from seeing her friend lying prone on the ground, his blood mixing with dirt and gravel.

She was blinded for a moment, and, tearing up, she rubbed a hand across her face. A sudden wisp of wind blew, and her vision cleared…in time for her to watch as a large, yellow public school bus speeded towards her, blaring its horn the entire time. Ruefully, she took a step back, which was all she could think to do. _Traffic wasn't blocked on the entire road? _Spiritually, she could see herself as if from space, a pink-haired dot standing in front of a large yellow block. _Deer in the headlights, _she thought ironically. That was all it was. She couldn't move, nor scream. Now she understood.

Life wasn't fair.

* * *

Still watching the scene, Susumu and Tsumi-chi continued their vigil, though Susumu was still trying to find a source for the radical wave of foreign chakra. Tsumi-chi took a step forward, cupping her hands. "Hey! Get out of the road! Are you crazy!?"

"Get out of the road?" Susumu asked, his gaze turning. He saw the pink hair, the scared expression, the bus careening into her. His eyes widening, he could feel his teeth clench. "Shit!" Before he could stop himself, he darted forward, bulling people out of his way and bounding into the street. His body effortlessly fell back into the training he partially remembered from his former self.

Pushing a wave of chakra into his feet, he sped across the intersection, his arms behind him for less wind resistance. Hina had no time to react as strong arms scooped her up, dragging her across the road, where they both tumbled onto the permacrete as the bus sped past.

Susumu trembled slightly as he felt where a piece of gravel had embedded itself into his leg. His heart pounded a steady rhythm in his chest. Was he nuts? He just ran out into the road and almost got hit by a bus, saving someone he didn't even know! Was his previous self completely suicidal or something?

Back on the curb, Tsumi-chi had been holding her breath, watching the scene through eyes that seemed to catch every movement. When Susumu and the girl had found themselves safely on the curb opposite, she let out a sigh of relief. "Great. He's using his chakra to…wait, what?" Tsumi-chi paused for a moment. The déjà-vu was coming back. Suddenly, the word 'Uchiha' sprung to mind again. _What is happening here?_ She thought to herself. She gave Susumu a stare from behind the backs of two older gentlemen. Slowly, her eyes pinched. _Does he know something?_

As the light turned green, an officer waved the crowd over, and Tsumi-chi dashed past the horde to the front line, stopping in front of them. "Boy, Susumu…that was close. You guys okay?"

Susumu managed to pull himself out of his shock long enough to answer. "I'm fine," he croaked through parched lips. Licking them, he regained his cool composure. "I'm fine," he said with more confidence. He looked at the girl he had saved, sighed and rolling his eyes. "Hey. You alright?"

"Hey!" A piercing screech cut through the conversation, and a shell-shocked and very disheveled Momo ran up, screeching to a halt. "Hina! What the hell were you thinking! You almost gave me a heart attack! And…and…Takziki…and…" Momo glanced nervously at the others, as if noticing them for the first time.

"Oh…erm…hi," she said, smiling brightly. "Did you?" she asked, pointing at Susumu. Nodding at Hina, she curtsied politely. "Thank you so much."

Suddenly, she got much more serious. "Hina…Takziki…he's…" She narrowed her eyes and sighed. She didn't want to make it seem final. She didn't even want to be right about what she was thinking. She hoped she wasn't right. She hoped.

* * *

Jet-black hair swam in a sea of black and brown, eyes shaded by darkened sun-glasses probing into darkened alleys, faces covered by shadow. The boy saw all, he made notes of everything. Nothing was taken as a mere object. Everything was accounted for. Anything could be a weapon, anyone could be an enemy. His psyche probed each person that passed imperceptibly, looking for hidden potential, and, if he found it, the ability to crush that potential into the dust.

A cane ticked along on the ground, as the boy's rimmed eyes gazed through the blackened lenses. A leather coat hung from his shoulders, the tails dragging slightly on the ground. Scratching at his stomach, where a red-cloud tattoo gave him a small strife, the boy continued on his way to his home, a small apartment in the middle of town, a mere half-mile to the school.

The small fence that surrounded the apartment complex rose up in front of him, and his cane ticked off a pine-wood plank as he turned to the right, up the walk and through the door into a small hallway. Doors lined both sides, his domicile being the third door on the right. Reaching it, a hand pushed it aside, the boy stepping in and closing the door behind him. Slowly, he laid his cane to the side, reaching up and pulling off the glasses that he wore.

Shaking out his hair, he went to the mirror, opening his eyes to stare at himself. His eyes, rimmed through hate, despair, and his own bloodline limit, told of countless atrocities committed, all with one goal in mind.

He was Akuichi, and as his eyes went back to their normal shade of auburn grey, his alternate form went back to waiting.

Nagato was biding his time. Pein of Akatsuki would again rise, and have his revenge.

Yawning, the boy lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as he picked his teeth with a silver pick. As he got an exceedingly large piece of something out from between his back molars, Akuichi gave the needle a stare. He had taken it as a trophy from a man he had met in Mexico. The man had been selling wares in the street, a sign next to him observing that the proceeds would benefit a Mexican school.

"_Hello, young one. Would you like to donate to the cause?" the man had said. Akuichi stopped at his stall, his eyes hidden beneath a hat. _

"_Is it a worthwhile cause?" he asked. The man smiled, leaning up against the back of the shelter._

"_It is for the children. The children are the future." _

"_No fool." The boy's persona changed, a hideous transformation, emanating hate, loathing, and a sense of righteous anger. "I am the future!" _

_The man glanced up, his eyebrow rising. Akuichi's eyes rose as well, stopping as he glared balefully at the man, his eyes rimmed, spheres plainly visible in them. The man sighed, and then smiled, closin__g his eyes calmly. His language switched, from a fluent Spanish to a halting Japanese. "You…will never…take this world. You…didn't before. You…you won't…now."_

"_Quite a twisted sense of reality you have," Akuichi replied. His hand grasped a kunai, and he gave it a once over. "A pity that your false sense of security was so short-lived."_

Akuichi rolled over, taking the pick out of his mouth and placing it in a cup of water. He had killed the Konohagakure shinobi Genma slowly…painfully. His other half seemed to delight in the pain of others.

As he stared at the wall, Akuichi took in the trophies he had taken. A kunai, intricately carved and studded with rubies. He had taken it from a woman he had found in Sweden. A sweet, beautiful number. She had been eating Pokey in a shop that specialized in foreign cuisine. She hadn't seen the spear until it was poking through her breastbone. Konohagakure shinobi were usually quite alert. Apparently, Miterashi Ankos' reincarnate wasn't like most Konohagakure shinobi.

The kunai hanger hung limply on the wall, a reminder of what he had lost. Scowling at the empty spot where his prized weapon had once hung, he took in the rest of the treasures.

Of course, Konohagakure shinobi weren't his only targets. He had found the reincarnate of the Ichibi container's brother. He was a puppet master in the Sudan, keeping in seclusion in the desert. He knew of his own powers, his own abilities. The fight wasn't much, however. Akuichi had merely called up two of his forms, leaving the fighting up to them. Hungry-Ghost Realm and Demon Realm were more than a match for the boy, who fought with a puppet that looked similar to the one that Sasori-no-danna had used against his reincarnated form once long ago. Akuichi had taken the boy's cane from his lifeless fingers, even going so far as to remove the blackened blade from his heart.

Akuichi tossed, turning over in his bed as his mind relived the painful experience from another of Konohagakure's shinobi.

_The German karate teacher smiled at his young wards, bowing to show his respect for their hard work. "Students! You have done well these past days. Your youth glows within you as a sun!"_

"_Hai, Gai-Sensei!" They shouted back, showing their own respect by bowing. The man couldn't have been more proud. Slowly, he nodded, gesturing towards the door. _

"_Next week, students, we will practice the art of bushido. Remember, killing is forbidden…but that's not to say that we can't practice, right?" His laughter was contagious, though his joke lost it's meaning to the students, who chuckled. "Very well! Live well…"_

"_And prosper long!" They repeated. The man's motto was plainly visible over the door of his dojo, and as the last student left, the man ran a hand through his bowl-cut. _

_Sighing, he sat down, contentedly looking over sheets of bills. "How you were able to pull off so much in your lifetime, Maito, is beyond me. I have enough trouble just being me, but…" and he smiled. "The youthful glow of the children's faces…I can't help but be happy in my work."_

_"Hello…" A voice from the doorway stopped his inner-dialogue, and the man turned, eying the new student at the door._

_Smiling, he stood. "Hello, young man. Do you wish to learn the art of Karate, hm?"_

_The boy continued to stand in the doorway, his hat brim down. Slowly, in Japanese, he said. "I know the art of Karate. I know the art of Bushido. I know the art…" and slowly, his head rose up, revealing rimmed eyes and an evil persona. "I know the art…of death!"_

_The man blinked, as if he didn't understand. Suddenly, in his own change, he smiled, his teeth glinting in the bright light of the florescent bulbs above. "Hm. So, I should have been prepared to have come across another reincarnated shinobi. So…you are the one called Pein, from the illegal organization Akatsuki, yes?"_

_Akuichi sniffed, walking in as he ran a finger over the walls. "That is correct. You are astute. Which shinobi were you then?"_

_  
The karate teacher cracked his neck, still keeping an eye on the black-haired youth as he flexed. "Hn. I was the mystical green beast of Konohagakure, the youthful and ravishing Maito Gai!" He flung a few punches in the air, twirling his arms before settling into a pose that would have brought his former self to tears. _

_The boy merely snorted into his nose. "Quite."_

"_Now," the teacher continued, getting into a more relaxed position, "what can I do for the legendary holder of the Rinnegan, eh?"_

"_If I told you that," Akuichi began, "I'd have to kill you."_

"_That would be hard to do, even for you."_

_Akuichi chuckled at the man's retort, gripping a large, black weapon concealed under his shirt. Ripping it out with a flourish and whipping it about in the air, he pointed it at the reincarnated nin's form. "I guess we'll just have to see."_

_Maito Gai came out fully at that point, his grin a bright, exuberant defiant mark on his face as he got into a fighting position. "Yes, let us see."_

Akuichi licked lips that had been split, felt ribs that had been broken, felt bones that had been split almost in half. Even with the four forms that he had been able to call, including his own body in the mix, he had still sustained life-altering damage. The teacher knew more than an adequate supply of taijutsu, and even threw in a few ninjutsu. It was inevitable that Akuichi would win, though the injuries he had taken were many. That was exactly six months ago, and he was still using his cane sporadically. His former self had shown him the way to endure pain. Pain was his name, after all.

Standing up, Akuichi bent in the sun, straightening out his hair and taking out the pair of blue-blocker glasses that he used to cover his visual path. He didn't want the world to know of his abilities just yet, nor did he want any other reincarnates to know of him just at the moment. Striding to the door, he went into the hallway, glaring about him as he exited his building, walking to the front walk and down the street.

Darkly, he began muttering to himself, an open conversation with his other self. As always, his thoughts turned inward, towards his own possessions…and the lack of one. "That damn pink-haired bitch. She took my fucking kunai…" She and her intrusive blond friend. He had tracked that boy to the alley. He had to be sure about the boy's abilities. It wouldn't do to go around killing just anyone...yet. His vision was perfect. Henge was an easy way to appear as someone else, and disappear forever. But that blond girl...and her pink-haired friend. They had ruined everything! AND TAKEN HIS KNIFE!

**It is just a kunai, Akuichi...**

"Shut the hell up, Pein."

**Take care of what you say to me, young one. I know ways to bend your mind that you would never come back from.**

Akuichi sniffed, snorting at the ground. His cane ticked about, his attempt at keeping up his blind-boy persona. As his mind drifted, he began to think about his back-alley fight. "The girl I fought…that blond bitch. She was far too strong. She should have been an easy target, just a punch and out. What the hell was it that she said? _Moriko…_something…"

**Hn. A good memory is something that each and every shinobi should have. Otomiya Moriko Rendan is what she said as she slammed her foot into your head.**

"That's it. What the hell was that?"

**A shinobi technique. In fact, if my memory serves me, it was a technique used by only one person. The Jinchurikki boy that I entrusted my life to. **

"So…that means…that blond-haired slut was him? That…Naruto boy you've told me about?"

**Yes. Uzumaki Naruto…the nine-tailed Jinchurikki whom I sacrificed my life for.  
**

Akuichi snorted. "It was a waste of a good life, you moron." The boy could almost feel his former-self cringe.

**A costly mistake. This world seems as full of strife as it once was. The boy failed me. It is time to correct that mistake.**

Akuichi smiled. "Exactly…"

"Hey!" His cane ticked into a man's foot, who jumped slightly, turning around to take stock of the person who had run into him. "Watch where you're going, you blind bastard."

Akuichi's lip twitched, turning his sneer into a lopsided grin. Slowly, he removed his glasses, staring into the man's eyes with searing eyes of grim resolve. "You will apologize…now!"

The man stood as if struck, and slowly, his head began to bob of its own accord, as if on a string. "Of course. I'm sorry. I should have been paying attention…"

Turning his head, the boy nodded at the street. "Traffic looks like fun, doesn't it? You want to play with the shiny cars."

The man nodded in turn. "Yes, traffic does look fun. The shiny cars look wonderfully fun. I should play with them."

Shading his eyes once more, Akuichi strode from the scene as the man took three steps into the hustling street. A small mini-van slammed on its brakes, but far too late, as its grill plowed into the man's front, throwing him side-on into the windshield of a parked Mitsubishi. A woman screamed as the street was thrown into pandemonium. As he walked away from the bustling metropolis of agony, Akuichi could only smile. "Hn. Bad day for accidents. Civilians should learn to use the crosswalks. Heh…"

* * *

Susumu could almost feel the uneasiness in the air. As he watched Hina and Momo walk away towards school, he could see Hina give him a quick half-smile before being led into the building, Momo yanking her along and babbling the entire way. The area was being secured, police cones and tape surrounding the front of the school. Ushers were busy, attempting to corral the children who were standing around, watching. Shaking his head, Susumu gave Takziki's body one last look before turning. _Hm…this is such a strange day. What the hell is happening?_

"Hey, kid!" He blinked, turning around to look at one of the teachers, who shoved a book at him. "You dropped this."

"What? I didn't drop…" His eyes dropped to the book that the teacher had just shoved into his hands, and his gaze widened as he took in the title. _Past Warriors: A Look Into Ancient Fighting Styles and Element Manipulation?_ He blinked, opening the book and flipping through the pages. "This…this book…"

**It is about the shinobi code…**

"S…Sasuke?" Susumu asked out loud, his head shifting around him. "But…"

**I'm in your head, dobe. You don't have to talk out loud to converse with me. I can hear your thoughts, just as you are hearing mine right now.**

Susumu sighed, but complied. _Fine, Uchiha. But you and I are going to have a serious talk about…_

"Hey!" A piping voice from his right took him out of his own head, turning his attention to a brown-haired girl. "We're going to be late, Susumu-kun."

"Tsumi-chi? Oh…right…" _Later then, Sasuke. I have questions for you to answer._

**You're more annoying than inquisitive, Susumu. Just be quiet for now. Go to class. We can talk when you aren't bothered by school.**

Susumu was going to argue the point, but decided against it. Turning, he began walking towards the main entrance, feeling Tsumi-chi tagging along behind. "Tsumi is a good girl. I always get to class on time, and right now, we're late! Hurry it up, Susumu-kun!"

"Tsch. You're such a nuisance," he retorted, throwing her his best half-glare. She merely glared back.

* * *

Akuichi arrived at the corner of the school just as the last bell rang. Already, the streets were cleaned, debris removed, order re-established. Akuichi sighed as he took in the red-brick building. _I never thought I would be going back to school._

**Or that you would be going to school, period. In fact, if my perfect memory serves me, boy…you've never attended a school before.  
**

Akuichi shrugged, his cane continuing to tick along the ground as he made his way up to the front steps. _Most of the time, a child's parents tell them to go to school. It's hard to be motivated when you have killed your motivation._

Upon reaching the main room of the school, Akuichi stumbled about, attempting to look as pathetic and weak as possible as his alter-ego continued it's vigil for signs of other reincarnates. Stepping up to the office window, Akuichi smiled across at the secretary, who looked up and smiled back.

Her hand came up to pull back the window, and as it slid open, Akuichi placed his own hand on the counter. Her voice was sincere and friendly, something Akuichi was not used to. "Hello there. What can we do for you today?"

"Um…hi," he stated. Shuffling nervously, he cast a few non-glances about the hall. "I'm new here, and someone on the street said that this school was one of the best. I'm here to enroll in classes."

The woman smiled sweetly yet again, looking down as she sifted some papers about. "New enrollment, hm? Very good. You know, a good education can go a long way, young man."

"Yes, I know," he stated back.

Filing through some papers, she grabbed one from off of a rack, putting it in front of her and turning back to him. "Very well. Name?"

"Akuichi."

"Last name?"

"Akuichi."

"Um…you have the same name, last and first?" she asked, her eyebrow rising. Akuichi didn't really have a last name. Well, he did. He just refused to use his real name. Born Mirichi Gomen…the sorry child of the Mirichi line. His parents knew what he was the moment he had been gifted with life. Too bad for them that they hadn't had the foresight to dump him in a river.

Their bodies were probably decomposing under the earth as he spoke.

"Mirichi, then," he grated. It took every ounce of restraint that he had not to just turn around and burn the place to the ground.

"Good. Mirichi Akuichi then," she said, that same, sweet smile still on her face. Writing it in, she tapped the paper. "Social security number?"

"I don't have one," Akuichi simply said. He didn't really. Not that he knew about, at any rate. Maybe he did. He didn't really care.

The woman cocked another eyebrow. "Let's…just leave this blank for now. Where are your parents?"

His expression became as forlorn as possible, and he sighed. "Their…dead, ma'am. They died in a…erm…car…fire…plane…accident…thing." He hadn't counted on that question. Besides, this was his first day in a public school. He didn't know what they were going to ask. Perhaps he should have done some more in-depth research about what the questions would have been.

"A car, fire, plane, accident thing?"

"Yes. They were in a car when it got hit by a plane and caught on fire. There were…no survivors…"

A tear drifted down his cheek, and instead of further antagonizing the boy, she simply put _Call Child Services_ on the paper. Looking back up, she nodded. "I see. Well, I suppose that will have to do for now, Akuichi. Welcome to our school. Would you like a student to show you around? This place can be quite big for a new student, and you…well…"

Akuichi smiled at her. "I'm blind. I know. That would be wonderful if I had someone show me around. Maybe show me to each and every class. I have a pretty good memory. Usually, if I am shown around once, I can find my way back by feel." _This will be a perfect opportunity to find any more reincarnates, _he thought to himself.

The woman nodded. "Hai. I know just the one." Getting on the intercom, she buzzed. "Attention. Attention. Will Haruki Hinageshi please come to the front office? Haruki Hinageshi…" Taking her finger off of the call button, the woman smiled. "Don't worry. Hina will take good care of you. She's one of the brightest students here."

"Doomo…" Akuichi said, bowing. It wasn't a minute later than a pink-haired girl showed up, slightly out of breath.

"Hai?"

"Oh! Hina-san. Thank you for getting here so quickly. This is Akuichi. He's a new student, and will be joining us for classes today. Can you please take him around so he can get acquainted with his classmates, and this school?"

"Hai!" She quipped, turning. "Hi, I'm Hinageshi, or Hina to my friends. You can call me Hina, if you like."

Akuichi's lip twitched at the pink hair and familiar face. On the outside, he smiled, bowing to her, though slightly off-center so that she would buy the blind act. "Arigatoo, Hina-chan."

Inside was another story. _What! The pink-haired bitch!? This is too perfect. I'm going to kill her so painfully slow. Then, I'll find my knife and cut her stupid throat with it!  
_

**Patience, Akuichi-san. Patience. We shall have our day. **

Akuichi snorted at his other half, something that Hina didn't apparently catch. Taking his hand, she gave it a small tug. "Come on, Akuichi-san. I'll show you all the classrooms, then I really have to get back to my own. I have a test next class, and I don't want to be late for it."

"Oh, by all means," Akuichi said, his voice laden with sincere insincerity. "I'll follow you. Just hold my hand so I know where I'm going."

Hina smiled, turning from him and pulling him lightly down the hallway. As they walked, she couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy. _This kid kinda gives me the creeps. What's up with him, anyways?_

As they walked, Akuichi also had his own thoughts. _Such a nice, quiet girl. _He smirked slightly to himself as she turned her head, giving him a half-sided smile.

_They all scream when they die. Always…_

_

* * *

_

(Credits)

(Japanese) Aoru Susumu/Uchiha Sasuke: Chosha Kurenai

(Japanese/American) Otomiya Moriko/Uzumaki Naruto: Inuys-hispanicgirl

(Japanese) Haruko Hinageshi/Haruno Sakura: xXSoldierXx

(Japanese) Fujiyomo Takziki/Akimichi Chouji: Uzuki-Kun

(Japanese) Nakaowa Tsumi-chi/Tobi/Uchiha Madara: xkawaiichix

(Japanese) Mirichi Akuichi/Pein/Nagato: Uzuki-Kun

Next Chapter: You have lots of time to create new jutsu's when you're dead, and Pein has been perfecting his genjutsu, allowing him to delve into a person's mind...which he uses to probe into the minds of some of his fellow reincarnated souls. New villains, new heroes, and new twists in the next chapter!

Next Chapter: Release Me! The Kyuubi's Plea!


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